If I'm falling, why does it feel like I'm flying?
by DarkenedStar
Summary: 2 years after Katie graduates from Hogwarts. Oliver is just a friend, right? So why does Katie's heart beat so fast around him? With a 10 day long cruise to Greece, will the romance bloom? KBOW romance! Humor and fluffiness galore!
1. Madame Farley's

Hey! My name is Cherriey. This is my first fanfic with Harry Potter characters so it won't be the best story out there, but give me a chance. The first chapter is not really eventful but I needed to get the setting straight. I can't just jump into a story. It will get better, I promise! If you ever have questions or concerns, let me know. I'm not going to make everything exactly as the book had it so please excuse any differences. Thanks, and I hope you like it. .

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It's sunny. It's bright. It's breezy. It's a perfectly beautiful spring afternoon. I want desperately to go outside and enjoy the freedom such an atmosphere provides but no. I can't.

I lean against one of the tables. I can't deal with this much longer. I mean, for the past week there has been amazingly lovely weather. Every day the sun shines brightly but there's always a gentle breeze that plays with people's hair, cooling them down. It's not hot, but neither is it cold. In other words, it's perfect. But no. I can't enjoy it. I have to _work_.

Don't get me wrong. I like my job. It's pretty decent. I'm a waitress at a cozy little restaurant called Madame Farley's. Oh, believe me- I realize how original the name is. You know, it's not like everyone else names their shop after themselves. But I won't complain. I mean, Madame Farley is a sweet woman. She's a short brunette in her mid 50's. She's nice to everyone she comes across. I think that's why she decided to open up this place a few years ago. She loves to help people and I'll be honest- she is the best cook I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Merlin! This woman can cook! Even if it's the simplest meal, it always comes out looking and tasting spectacular.

So in short, my employer is wonderful. Never mean to me. She did hire me, after all. Right out of Hogwarts, too. I've been here for the past 2 ½ years. It's not bad. I get decent pay, I have a bit of seniority around here, and Madame Farley is as bright as the sunshine reflecting off the window panes.

The thing is that I work every. Single. Day. I never take off for holidays or vacations or anything. I work 7 days a week from 7 _am_ (yes…. 7 AM!) to 7 in the evening. Yeah. I'm pretty much the loser. I never have time to go out. I never really hang out with anyone. I never actually _do anything_ besides work. And I work so much. I mean… yeah- that really is my decision. I've always worked myself to right before my breaking point. I like working hard for some weird reason. But then again, I've always been weird.

The point is that I ask to work this much and except for the gorgeous days such as today, I don't really mind. I want something good for myself. I'm not going to live in some nasty, dirty, old, smelly, moldy, crusty, infested, who-knows-what-could-be-crawling-in-your-sheets-right-now apartment. I just refuse to live in filth. Or have to live from paycheck to paycheck. So I work my butt off every day just so I can live in a decent place. Hey- what with everything I have to pay for, the cost of living isn't too cheap, you know.

Basically, after Hogwarts I had no idea what I wanted. I decided to get a part-time job anywhere that would have me. I wanted to take some time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't want to just jump off into some dead-end career that wasn't going to make me happy. I wanted to start out with the right job. But here I am, 2 ½ years later. I still have no idea what I want in the future. No idea at all. It's amazing, I tell you. Amazing…

Whatever, though. I'm content for the time being. I'm not even 21 years old yet. I don't think I just absolutely need to know what my profession will be. I just need some time.

In the mean time, I'm just pretty much working and working and oh, that's right! Working. Hey, at least I have a good amount of money saved up right now. No one can say that's a bad thing, right?

_Ding!_

Here we go. Monday mornings aren't usually busy. A few witches might come in and have tea. A couple might have a nice little breakfast. Other than that, it's pretty much dead. Hey- I'm getting paid to wait on who ever comes in. When there's pretty much no one here, I am one happy witch.

However, it's nearly noon and that means one thing. Lunch time. You'd be surprised how many people like to eat here. I mean, yeah, it's amazing food but our location isn't that convenient. And I never thought the working class really felt like having a relaxing lunch in a cozy shop when their day is hectic and stressful and they're always on the edge, and whatnot. Oh, who am I to say what the real working class would like? I'm a waitress. That doesn't count for anything.

The group of 3 that just entered looks around. I glide over to them. I've done this waaayyyy too many times to not try and have fun with it. Besides, we get a lot of the same people through here- the Regulars, if you will- and I had never seen these people before. I can afford to make them think I'm weird. "Welcome to Madame Farley's!" I greet warmly.

This seems to put a smile on their faces. Oh, good. This means they will be tolerable guests. I hate it when they're rude. I HATE it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. The rudeness rubs off on me rather easily and then I tend to pass it on to the other guests. They, in turn, are rude right back to me, and that just ruins everyone's day. Clearly, this has happened to me quite a few times. And I hate it. So much.

"Please, allow me to show you to a table."

"Oh, could you please seat us somewhere in the back, we may be a bit noisy and don't want to disturb anyone else." One of the witches smiles shyly at me. No problem, I suppose.

"Sure, right this way." In the most secluded spot I point to a table. They take their seats and I conjure up some menus for them. "Can I get you any kind of beverage?"

They each tell me they would like tea so I leave them to look over the menus. I make my way to the back, maneuvering through the maze of chairs and tables. I do like this place because it really is cozy and homey, but it's a bit cramped. Oh well. No use complaining over it.

The next hour passed relatively quickly. More and more witches and wizards came in and had tea together or a nice little meal. I'm the only waitress today so I have to take care of everyone. Two and a half years of dealing with this makes it easier than it sounds, though. Besides, compared to those busy weekend evenings when everyone is free to bustle about and decide to have dinner- all at the same time, mind you- this is really nothing.

As the end of everyone's lunch hour neared, the crowd thinned out and the place became less noisy. I like this part the best- cleaning up after people is a lot better than waiting on them. Not that I like cleaning up after people. I don't. But picking up a few dishes or wiping down tables admittedly sounds much better than getting anything and everything that every customer desires.

Right now there are only a few people here. A young, giggling couple is sitting by the front windows. A middle-aged witch, one of our regulars, is curled up in a corner sipping on some tea and reading a rather thick book. By the way, I did make that tea myself, thank you. And she loves it. She's asked for her tea pot to be refilled twice now. See? I'm not completely hopeless. I might have a lowly job that absolutely consumes my life, but I can make great tea.

Merlin. I really am a loser sometimes. I'm bragging about tea. Tea. Anyone can make tea.

Anyway, there's also an older wizard reading the Daily Prophet and munching on some biscuits and tea. The tea I made. Yup. Oh- and the group of three that came in earlier.

I pick up the last plate and glace over the restaurant. The chairs are pushed in, tables are wiped down, and everything seems to be in order. All I have to do is make sure these people have whatever they need and I'll be free until the next customer comes in.

Taking my time, I make my way over to the adorably sickening couple in the front. Don't get me wrong- I think it's sweet and cute to have that significant other. But when they're giggling like five-year-olds and just giving each other pecks on the cheek every 3 seconds, it's kind of weird. Maybe it's just me.

"Is there anything I can get for you two? Are you all taken care of?" I smile as warmly at them as I can.

All they do is nod and giggle again. I didn't say something funny, did I? Whatever.

With the reading witch in sight, I walk over to the secluded corner. I can officially say this is her corner because whenever she comes in, this is the only place she can sit. And she comes in rather often.

She seems to be immersed in her reading so I clear my throat as to not startle her. "Excuse me, is there anything you would like? More tea, perhaps?" Say yes to the tea! Please!

Silence answers me.

Umm… ok. I guess she's a bit _too_ absorbed in whatever that book is. I look at the cover- Ancient Runes! Second Century Edition. Oh. Wow. I could never get a hang of that stuff. It was all the same to me in Hogwarts and now that I don't have to deal with it anymore, I realize that I do not miss it at all. Not one bit.

Well, since she's too into Runes to hear me, I turn on my heel and take a step.

"Oh!" I hear her cry from behind me. The sound startles me and I jump. "I'm sorry, dear. Didn't mean to startle or ignore you!" She looks a bit frightful, as if she thinks I'm going to kick her out or something. Yeah- cause I'm that mean. Or mean at all. Sure.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine. Really! I just wanted to know if you needed anything. Can I get something for you?" I repeat. Sure, I have patience. But sometimes having to be so sickeningly sweet to customers bothers me. It really does. I wince. Hope she didn't catch that.

"You're so kind, dear. Could you get me another refill of this magnificent tea? That would be great."

"Of course!" And like a little kid, a grin comes on my face. I feel a lot better for some reason. Why? Oh, yeah. My tea kicks butt. I took the tea pot.

After giving her new tea, I make sure the wizard was content. 3 down. 1 to go. Then I'll be free!

"Do you guys need anything? Any refills?" The group looks up at me with grins. Um… that really is a bit unnerving. I hesitantly smile back, not really understanding what exactly is so great to be smiling about.

"Sorry!" The wizard exclaims. I guess he realized how alarmed I was. "We were just deep in conversation and- " he looked around the restaurant. "Woah! I didn't even realize we've been here for so long!"

I must say, this one is interesting. He just seems so…. so… lost. "It's fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"Oh, good," says one of the witches with a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to kick us out for being too loud!" They all laugh together. Did I miss something funny? I'm not mean! I was actually in the middle of being sickeningly nice so I have no clue how they got the impression that I would actually-

"Hey! Maybe she would know!" The other witch says excitedly to the other two. Looking at me, "Do you happen to know if there is a joke shop around here?"

I give them a funny look. Umm… everyone around here knows that the twins' shop is just a few blocks away. I mean EVERYONE. Seriously. If you weren't the one buying some kind of prank, you were the one being pranked. Well- maybe not everyone is pranking or getting pranked but they sure do know the shop is there.

I must be looking at them weird because the witch starts whispering to the other. "Sorry! I must have blanked out," I explain sheepishly, "Of course there's a place around here. Weasleys' Wizards Wheezes. There's a huge sign outside the shop so you can't miss it. Just be careful," I warn as I conjure a piece of parchment and a quill. Taking my time, as there is nothing better to do and a messy map is rather pointless, I put as many details as I can manage. "There- that should do." They smile brightly and give their thanks.

Wow. Now there's two people I wouldn't mind seeing. The Weasley twins made me laugh to end back in Hogwarts. Now that we're out of school, I used to see them here and there. But now that I think about it, I haven't seen them for nearly six months. I feel my smile falter. What's wrong with me? I loved them! I still do. Whenever I had a problem I went to them for help. Always. Sure, I had Alicia and Angelina but they always had problems of their own and I never quite felt comforted. Of course I love them, too, but I ended up helping them more than they helped me. Not that it bothers me. The point is- whenever I had a problem, Fred and George were always there for me. Especially if it was a boy problem. Oh, did they have fun when I had one of those.

I feel a goofy smile creep on my face. I remember in my fourth year I was dumped by my boyfriend of a year. Thomas. Oh yes- on the eve of our first anniversary he decided to cheat on me. It wasn't enough to only cheat on me, but he had to brag and tell half the school the next day. The day that would have been our anniversary. He told half the school. The other half found out via rumors.

You can imagine my reaction. I skipped out on a week of classes to stay in my bed crying my eyes out. My friends did more than enough to console me. Alicia and Angelina hunted down one of my friends from each class to retrieve my missed assignments for me. Without my knowing, they pulled two all-nighters in a row to do my work for me. To say I was surprised would be the understatement of the century. I really do love them.

The twins had a batch of untested pranks. They were rather sick of using themselves as test dummies so the opportunity was used to the fullest. Thomas was pelted with water balloons, hexed to mumble incoherently and had all of his hair fall out. Of course he used a spell to grow it back out. To his dismay, he was bald the next day, too. For two and a half weeks, countless other things seemed to ruin everything for him. The twins refused to stop until he came to apologize.

He finally approached me after nearly three weeks of not saying a word to me. I couldn't help but giggle when I noticed he was a bright shade of pink. He apologized as nicely as he could. The twins thought he could have done better but I thought he did well enough by not stomping off. I admittedly was giggling at his lovely new skin color throughout his entire speech.

Oh. And Oliver. Oliver definitely beat the pee out of Thomas. I saw him a week and a half after the break-up ( I was still in my bed until then) and he was still bruised underneath his eye and on his chin.

I absolutely love all of them. To my embarrassment I realize that there's a huge grin plastered on my face at this point. Sure, after Thomas I find it really hard to trust anyone in a relationship, but the group really made me feel a ton better. I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest witch in the world to have such amazing friends. My smile falters. Then again, thanks to my workaholic ways, I haven't seen them for the longest time. It's not that I don't want to see them. I do. It's just that by the time work is over, I'm completely worn out and all I want is to curl up in bed and sleep. Oh, Merlin. I have no life. Early to bed. Early to rise.

I stand up from the chair I had been using. It's settled. I don't care how worn out I get. By the end of today I will march over to the twins' shop and catch up on everything.


	2. Weasleys’ Wizards Wheezes

I'll be honest- I really am excited about this story. Ever since I've started, I've been writing non-stop and I'm constantly planning what's going to happen next. I love it. Anyway- this chapter is shorter than I would have liked it to be, but I needed it to cut off where it did. The next one is longer and will be posted shortly.

Did I mention that I love Bumbledbee, Emerald Puppy, and Fantasygirl26 for being so amazing? Now I have. Despite the actionless and boring first chapter, they reviewed. I felt like I was a five-year-old getting a huge lolly pop. Thanks for reviewing!

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By the time we locked the restaurant doors, my excitement to see the twins was threatening to make me burst. Before I knew it, I was half way to their shop, speed walking as fast as I could. Woah! Slow down there. Don't look _that_ hopelessly thrilled. 

I slowed my pace. Is this going to be awkward? Are they going to recognize me? Oh no! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe I should turn around. Plan this visit better. Maybe I should-

Too late. The shop is in sight. I took deep breaths to calm myself. What's wrong with me? Nervous? To see the _twins_? Maybe I'm sick. It doesn't matter- I'm going to see the two best men in the world. That's that!

As I near the shop, I realize its dark inside and there's no usual bustle of activity. Actually, there's no activity. No one is there. And is that parchment on the door? Oh no… they're not here! After nearly 7 hours of reminiscing of our adventures in Hogwarts and planning what to say to them, they're gone.

_Dearest Patrons and Fellow Jokesters! _

_We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience we may have caused you. We've decided to give up our foolish and childish ways. We are officially closed forever! _

_George Weasley_

_Fred Weasley_

I stare at the parchment for a moment or two longer. I look away. I look back again and read it over four more times.

WHAT?! The WEASLEY TWINS giving up _pranking_? It must be a crime just to say those words in the same sentence! Never in my life would I have thought….

I try to open the door, thinking it may just be a joke but the door is locked tight. I furiously plop on the bench right outside the shop. It's impossible, I tell you! They turned Thomas PINK! They blew up three toilets in the Slytherins' bathrooms!! (No one could quite figure out how they managed to achieve that one but the celebration lasted until 4am.) They made Oliver's broom do everything backwards for ten full minutes because he made us get up at 5am that very same morning to practice. And they were done pranking? I REFUSE to believe it!

The door suddenly opened and two young wizards ran off with enormous grins and arms full of the Weasley's products.

What the-

I looked back at the door they had just emerged out of. Again, I try to open the door but nothing happens. I want to scream in frustration. What's going on?! I snatch the parchment and force myself not to tear it in two. I glare at it then make a motion to place it back on the door but… is that the same letter hanging on the door? I'm holding an identical parchment to one that just appeared on the door. I grab that one as well but keep my eyes on the door. There! Out of nowhere, another letter hangs itself neatly in the others' place. I take it off twice more but the note just reappears every time and now I just have 4 letters in my hands.

Fred and George Weasley! I will kill you both when I find you! Incredibly irritated, I try to unlock the door with my wand. Nothing. I just stand there for a few moments longer, trying to figure out what on earth is going on. Once more, I sit down. But not even 30 seconds later, the door flies open and a devious looking witch hurries out.

Oh, no you don't! I jump up and catch the door before it slams shut for the second time. Well it's good to know that my Quidditch reflexes have finally paid off. I heave the door open and step inside. What I find inside makes my blood boil.

People! There must be fifteen witches and wizards running about grabbing the latest merchandise off the shelves. The noise level is much louder than what I find comfortable and the candle light is so bright that my eyes are nearly blinded at first. It seems that everyone besides me had realized the twins' trickery.

"Tricksters and hooligans! I am very sorry to announce that we will be closing in ten minutes. Thank you for coming but we kindly ask you to get out unless you are purchasing items." That voice…

I look around feverishly to locate the speaker. There! What should I do? Think quickly! Should I run up and just hug Fred or should I be more casual? Or should I-

Before I knew what was happening, I found myself nearly sprinting at him. "FRED!!!" I cry out as I latch myself onto him. "It's been sooooo long!"

He recognized me right away and returned the hug. "Katie Bell! Marvelous!" I took a step back to look at him. I double checked to make sure it was Fred. He has a freckle on his left cheek that was slightly larger than the rest. That's the only way I can tell the twins apart solely by appearance. He looked exactly the same the last time I saw him. But who's complaining? It's Fred Weasley! One of my old best friends! "Is it really you? Look at how much you've grown! You must be another inch or two taller. Wait- that's just your heels. Splendid outfit, Katie. Oh, and you lost weight!"

I look down at my waitress uniform. I completely forgot I came straight from work. Oh, now I look like an idiot. Great. "You sound like my mother, Fred," I giggle, feeling too elated to care about what I'm wearing.

He grins at me and pinches my cheek and imitates a mother's voice, "My Katie Pie! My, how long it's been!"

I can't help but grin back at his stupidity and I smack his hand away.

"Katherine Bell!" I turn quickly to face who ever shrieked my name. George! Oh no… is he… He's running at me! I start to panic, not knowing this is what it's like to be rushed at.

"George!" I scream as he nearly tackles me but end up laughing once I'm safely hugging him. "How good to see you! Both of you!"

I probably look like a buffoon. I'm grinning like an idiot in my waitress uniform and my cheeks are rosy from laughing. I don't care, though. It's the twins! I'm so happy right now. I should have stopped by months ago! Why did we ever stop seeing each other in the first place?

Oh yeah. Work. Ick.

George speaks up, "Listen, we're closing up the shop now. Would you like to come over to our place to catch up? We still have some cake left over, too!"

Cake? Now that does sound good. "Of course, silly! I'd love to."

The twins ran off to finish helping everyone left in the shop and once everyone was out, they locked up.

I waited patiently outside on the bench, all previous anger gone. I sighed contently at the thought of being reunited with Fred and George.

After about ten minutes, the door flew open and out ran the twins. They quickly shut the door and muttered a locking charm. They were panting and laughing. At my questioning look, they explained. "Pauline, our business partner opens tomorrow. It is tradition for the last one in there to leave some kind of prank. The first one to open the door in the morning gets a surprise." I give them a look. "It keeps her on her toes and gives us a great laugh at the same time."

"What did you do?" I ask.

"Oh, you know-" But George is cut off by a loud roar from within.

I jump off the bench and run to hide behind them. "What was that!?" I screech.

They look at each other and grin. "Hungarian Horntail." They manage to utter through their laughs.

"WHAT?!"

My outburst only fuels their mirth so I smack them both on the head. "Don't worry, it's only an illusion!" Fred offers.

"It really is," George backs his brother up. "It looks, sounds, and acts real but it can't do any harm."

"Besides make her urinate herself!" I can't believe these two.

"Hey, she agreed to the terms from the beginning. This was one of them. Unlimited pranks on her!"

The Horntail lets out another shriek.

I burry my face in my hands. "That poor witch," I mutter.

"Oh, don't worry, Katie. Really. She tries to prank us back, after all."

"Never succeeded, though. She thinks she can get us! HA!" Fred laughs. He points his wand to the infuriating parchment on the door and it disappears.

That reminds me! "What in Merlin's name was that letter about?! You two will never stop pranking for all the galleons in the world!" I wave my arms for effect. "Why did you put that letter up?!"

They smile notoriously and they each put an around me as they lead me away.

"Umm, Katie? We're THE Weasley twins!" George explains.

"The infamous Weasley twins!" Fred agrees.

"Famous! Throughout half of England!"

"And half of Scotland, where we just opened up our second shop, thank you!"

"Half of Scotland!" George repeats.

"Oh, come off it." I mutter at their antics.

"The point is, dearest Katie," George starts.

"Is that we're the Weasley twins. Pranksters Extraordinaire." Fred continues.

"Who's to say we shouldn't prank anyone we can?" George finishes.

It really is annoying when they finish each other's sentences. But still funny. I can't help but smile, even though I'm still upset over the note. "Well isn't it bad for business, telling people you've closed- especially if you charm the windows to look like no one is inside?"

"Are you kidding? Any true hooligan knows we would never stop. Therefore, they would realize it's a joke."

"But how?! The door was locked!"

"Oh, that's simple. You just have to pull off the parchment and open the door before it regenerates. The door is unlocked when the note is gone!" Fred states as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

Yeah- that's easy to figure out.

"Oh, come now. You didn't know?" Fred asks.

"How did you get in?" George questions.

"Oh, you know. I only had to launch myself at the door as someone came out! After waiting for forever!"

They give me a weird look. An identical weird look. Which is especially weird because they're twins and have mastered this weird look together so it's executed perfectly. And it's even weirder when they're on both sides of you. I shake my head. When have they EVER been normal? Seriously.

"Katie pie, do we have a lot to teach you." They shake their heads as they both locked their arms with mine and marched off with me in tow. I'm sure this must be a hilarious sight to any passer-by but getting dragged hurts my arms a bit.

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Yes, yes. It was short. Just remember- the more reviews I get, the faster I will post the next chapter! 


	3. Twins' Flat

Well, I said I would put the next chapter up quickly so here you are. Let me know what you think!!

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I must say that the Weasley twins were never known to be neat brothers, but even with this knowledge their flat surprised me so much that I couldn't help but gasp. I'm alright with a little mess, but this is ridiculous! I bet anything that their mother would be furious if she ever laid eyes on this mess. Boxes littered the floor, clothes were piled everywhere, and there was a mountain of dirty dishes in the sink. Did I mention that their kitchen table looked like one of the science labs back at my old muggle school? Oh dear, that's only cause it is a lab! Don't tell me that's where they create their contraptions. Oh, Merlin. It is.

I wrinkle my nose in disgust. How can they manage to live in this mess? I don't know what to do. I just stand there awkwardly. There's no way I can sit on the shredded couch. The only other chairs are at the kitchen table, and I don't trust whatever is being tested over there.

"What's the matter? Don't you love our place?" Fred asks from behind me.

"Love it? Fred! This place is a sty!" I cry. "How can you even live here?"

George scratched his head, "Maybe we should have gone out for some tea, after all."

My hands are itching to clean this place up. I don't want to touch this mess but they obviously don't know how to clean. And I have been told that I'm a bit of a clean-freak. I shake my head in defeat and make a note to myself to help them at least wash their dishes one day.

I conjured up a chair and sat in it tiredly. I guess I was too excited earlier to feel the wave of weariness wash over me. I'm usually curled up in bed and about to go to sleep by now. My hand instinctively flies up to my mouth to cover a yawn.

"Well we're here now so we might as well make the best of it." Fred offers.

"It's fine," I say. "But I have to ask- _how_ on earth can you live in this?"

He chuckles. "We are the Weasley twins, after all. When have we ever been clean?"

George dashed off comically to the kitchen and the sound of dishes clinking together filled the flat.

Fred shoved a pile of clothes off the discolored couch and took a seat. "So, Katie, to what do we owe such a wonderful surprise visit? Did you miss us?"

I giggle. "Of course I missed you two! Who could not?"

"Oh," George called from the kitchen, "You'd be surprised!"

"It's true!" His brother agrees.

"I had some customers today that asked me to point them to a close joke shop. Ever since then I've been thinking of you guys and the group. I'm really kind of put out that we haven't been seeing each other."

"So you gave us business?" George questions, emerging from the kitchen with three plates floating in the air behind him. He takes a seat in a recliner and each plate floats to its temporary owner. "Smashing! Please, try some cake. We must celebrate your return to us!"

All I can do is stare at the huge heap of cake on my plate. I do mean huge.

"Don't worry, we wouldn't do anything to you." Fred assures me.

"It's so much, though!"

"And you will eat every last morsel of it!" George exclaims, "It really is the best cake I have ever tasted." With that, he shoves a huge fork full in his mouth and chews happily.

To my delight, I find that he is right. The cake is spectacular!

"Are you still working in that restaurant? What's it called? Madame Farley's?"

I nod and swallow a mouth full of cake. "Yup. I still work there. I can't say it's the best job in the world but I'm content for the time being, I suppose. I still don't know what I want to do in life so I'm just going to stay until I figure it out."

"Are you still dating that one fellow? What's his name? Harold?"

George's eyes light up and he sits up straighter. "Harold! How is dear old Harold, then?" I might add that George hates Harold. "I'd love to see him again. I need someone to test out our new Fierce Flatulence Fluid." I don't know what the problem is between them, in all honesty.

"Yes, I am still dating Harold, as a matter of fact. And I don't think giving him a Fierce Flatulence Fluid would make him very pleased. What is your problem with him, after all? You've still managed to avoid telling me."

Harold and I have been dating for nearly a year now. He's a muggle that I met while visiting my parents on Christmas vacation three years ago. We took a liking to each other but nothing happened between us until last summer. I went home for dinner and ran into him by accident. He asked if I would have coffee with him and I agreed. Ever since then we've been dating.

"He's not the man for you, Katie." Fred states. He's of course referring to our triple date to a local muggle pub. It was George and Alicia, Fred and Angelina, and Harold and I. They all claim he was checking out other women the entire time. Not to mention he shot dirty looks at the twins. Or so I'm told.

I snort. "Well it's been almost a year for us and we're fine, thank you very much."

"So you're going at it like rabbits, then, eh?"

My cheeks burn up in embarrassment. "No, that's disgusting, George Weasley! And I refuse to tell you two about my intimacies with Harold."

"Look, he's just not for you. There's something about him that I can't trust. Have you even told him about what you are, yet?"

"Well- no. He's a muggle! He wouldn't understand the wizarding world."

"There you have it!" George exclaims, excited that he found another thing against Harold. "You should at least be able to trust the man, no?"

"Please, let's not bash on Harold, guys. I will tell him in due time. We're fine and I'd rather not listen to how much you hate him because of something that happened months ago. Let's talk about you. My life is boring anyway. All I do is work and sleep. Not much to talk about."

"Except how much of a git Harold is," George mutters under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Katie."

"So how are my dear Alicia and Angelina doing? I haven't spoken to them since I've last seen you!"

"Splendid!"

"Wonderous!"

"Amazing!"

"Spectacular!"

I giggle. I suppose they're still dating, then. That really is great news to hear. The two couples were always adorable in my eyes. I can't believe the girls have actually been able to put up with the brothers' antics for so long.

"Angelina works with the Weird Sisters. She's the tour manager. Arranges all the tours and sets up the venues. They're actually on tour at the moment. They arrive in France tomorrow and stay for two weeks. Then it's off to Spain. She works hard, that girl." Fred tells me proudly.

"Woman," I correct. "Angelina is a woman, Fred."

"Oh, believe me. I know she is." He said with a content smile.

"EWW!" I squeal. "I don't need to know about your sexual romps with one of my best friends! Nor do I want to!"

"Are you sure?"

"FRED!"

"Kidding!" he chuckles.

I shake my head in disgust. "What about Alicia?" I ask, trying to change the subject. "Still with the Prophet?"

"Yup. She has an advice column now. Rather popular, actually. She gets hundreds of letters asking for help. She can barely answer them before she has to write another column. By the time she finally gets a break, a slew of owls show up with more questions awaiting her perusal. It's time consuming but she loves it. Right now she's with Angelina. She's covering the tour and sends her articles to the Prophet. It's amazing how much publicity that band is getting."

"That's wonderful! For both of them," I smile warmly knowing that they're doing great in life.

"And Oliver, you ask? Our dearest Quidditch captain is Puddlemere United's most adored rising star! Who would have guessed, eh?"

"So he got accepted, then? That's great news!" I exclaim. "Last I heard of him, he was just on the reserve team. Oh, it's great to know all of my friends are so prestigious. Angelina is a tour manager for one of the most popular groups of the wizarding world. Alicia writes columns for the top wizarding news provider. Oliver was promoted from the reserve team. And you two are obviously a hit, seeing as you just opened your shop in Scotland!"

"Well, what about you? What are you going to do with yourself? You can't stay at Farley's forever. Have you even been thinking of what you want to do?"

"Um…" Now that they mention it, my job does seem like a smelly pile compared to them. The others have gotten so far in life. Their careers are rewarding and even though they all work hard, it doesn't consume their life. What do I have? A life that IS consumed by unrewarding work that will leave me in a dead-end in the future. _Great._

Fred gives me a disapproving look. "Let's think then. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" He exclaims to George. "We can help our Katie pie think of a career!" He claps his hands excitedly.

I groan. "Really, there's no need for this! Really."

But once the twins have that smile on, there's no stopping them. They grin at me.

"A singer!"

"A writer!"

"A professor!"

"A healer!"

"An Auror!"

"A banker!"

"A marketing agent!"

All I could do was stare at them as they shouted every occupation that could come to mind. They really are crazy.

"WELL?!" The ask me impatiently.

"Look, I just need some time. I can't just pick something out of the blue!"

"Fine, fine," George replies.

Out of nowhere, a huge yawn slips out. I smile sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess I'm not used to staying up so late," I explain. "I work 12 hours straight every day. I always fall asleep early."

They look appalled.

"WHAT?!"

"Preposterous!"

"Merlin, I'm such a loser, aren't I?" I cover my face with my hands. "I have no life!"

"Aww, don't say that." George gets up and pats my back but really has no other response. I knew it! Even they can't make up something to make me feel better. And they've had to come up with millions of excuses on the spot for all the pranks they've done.

Fred stands as well. "Katie," he says seriously. "You need our help."

"What do you mean?"

"You're a workaholic. Admit it. And you've been like this ever since Hogwarts. At first I thought you would grow out of it. But now I realize that you're hopeless without us-"

"HEY!"

"-and because of this, you will meet us at the Three Broomsticks on Friday at 8."

"I suppose I could…." I try to suppress another yawn.

"You can, and you will. And please, for Merlin's sake, tell Madame Farley that you refuse to work so much anymore. Do something! You're working your life away and you're only 20 years old!"

"Well, you're right about that. Fine. I'll talk to Farley tomorrow." They do have a point. I stand and stretch my arms. "Thanks for everything, you two. You have no idea how happy I am to see you again." I grin as I give them each a good-bye hug.

"Oh, come now, Katie! Don't mention it. We love your company! Besides, what with the girls gone, we need someone to keep us out of trouble."

I can't help but to glance around the flat. I think it's safe to assume that it was also up to the girls to keep this place clean. Or at least give Fred and George the incentive to do something about the slime on the wall, amongst other things.

I pull out my wand and with a final wave, disapparate to my flat.

I sigh contently as I look over my home. The living room is the first thing any visitor sees. Deep red hues hug the walls and huge golden circles are painted randomly about. I didn't realize they were Griffindor colors until Fred paid a visit a week after I had moved in. I thought he was going to die from laughing so hard.

An amazingly comfortable couch, recliner, and love seat are positioned around a cherry wood coffee table. Pictures grace my fireplace's mantle and candles are spread throughout. The kitchen is off to the far corner, hidden behind a bar that allows guests to peer into the cooking area.

A hallway leads off from the eating area to a bathroom and my bedroom. My bedroom is a beautiful shade of darkish purple with grey vines clinging to the walls. My bed rests off to one side with enough pillows for ten people. The rest of my furniture is black.

I adore this place. I absolutely love it. This is why I work so hard- I need to be able to live in a clean space. I can't deal with messes. Take one look around and you won't be able to find a thing out of place. Seriously. I told you I'm a clean freak.

Besides- after pulling continuous 12 hour shifts, coming home and plopping down on the recliner and relaxing is the most rewarding feeling.

I hear some tapping on the window and notice my owl is outside. Yay! I love getting mail. It makes me feel special. The only people I ever get mail from are either my parents or from Harold. Of course that's it. I have no life, remember? But in any case, those are the people that love me so I'm not going to complain. Much.

I hurry over to the window to let my annoyed owl in. He pecks me as he soars past me and onto the kitchen table. "Salem! I'm sorry!" I cry as I realize he must have been waiting there for hours. I pull out some treats and feed him so he calms down. Finally content, he pushes a letter across the table with his beak.

_Baby Cakes,_

_Our anniversary is coming up and I wanted to take you out for dinner. I have so much planned. I would pick you up but you still haven't exactly told me where you live. That really is weird, actually. Anyway, so how about we meet at the park? Does 8 sound ok? Let me know, Babes. I miss you! _

_Love, Your Stud Muffin_

A grin creeps on my face. Well that's really sweet of him. I grab a parchment and write him a reply saying that meeting at the park sounds great. My flat is located in a muggle neighborhood and I have mostly all muggle appliances. I like to keep things simple for myself and the location is more safe, in my opinion. There really is no reason for me to keep my home's whereabouts so guarded but I just can't help it. I'm paranoid of him finding out about what I am. I just have no idea how he would take it and the thought of losing him scares me more than anything. I would have to hide half of my pictures because they move, and if I happen to get an owl from someone while he's here, the consequences would be horrifying. Besides, I have no phone or computer- two things he deems impossible to live without- so that may seem suspicious.

Once I give instructions for Salem to deliver the message, I jump in the shower and get ready for bed. Today was such a long day. My legs hurt from running around at work and I realize that my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. How embarrassing.

I curl up under my covers and before I know it, I pass out and drift off into a dream.


	4. Three Broomsticks

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

YAY! The new chappie is here! I would like to thank my lovely reviewers for being so freaking awesome!! Enjoy!

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Harold and I are running through a meadow. He suddenly scoops me up in his arms and twirls me around. "Baby Cakes, I love you." 

"I love you, too!" I say giggling.

He puts me down gently and we lay next to each other, staring at the beautiful clouds floating by. For some reason I think it's the perfect time to tell him about my secret. I just have the feeling like he would accept it. "Muffin? Can I tell you something?" I ask, looking into his eyes.

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"There's something you don't know about me." He gives me a weird look. "I might seem ordinary to you, but I'm not. I'm a witch. I can do magic." I say nervously.

He smiles at me. "Are you afraid I wouldn't accept you? I think that's bloody amazing!" He hugs me tightly and I sigh contently. "Baby Cakes?"

"Hmm?"

"I love yo-"

_**BEEP!!!!**_

My eyes open as I nearly fall out of my bed. Ugh. A dream. I've had that same dream a few times now. I think it's a sign that I should tell him about what I am. But no matter what, I'm still just too nervous. It could never be so easy as it was in the dream.

**_BEEP!!!!!_**

I tap the "Off" button on my alarm clock. 6:30 am. I don't know why people feel the need to sleep in or complain about waking so early. I'm wide awake and not grumpy at all. But then again, maybe it's just because I'm so used to it by now. I had to wake up early every day in Hogwarts. If we didn't have classes, Quidditch practice consumed our mornings. Then I went straight to the work force so sleeping in never has appealed to me so much.

I slide out of bed and stretch. After showering, fixing my hair, and making my bed, I grab some breakfast. Then, after making sure everything is nice and tidy, I grab a cloak to shield my body from the cool morning breezes and make my way to work.

The sun begins to creep across the sky. I love this time of day. How can people miss this beauty for sleep? It really does baffle me. I smile happily. Three days had passed since my reunion with Fred and George. Today I would see them again after work. I just hope I can stay awake longer tonight.

Work was uneventful for the most part. The reading witch had stopped by for a few hours. I actually had a conversation with her. She told me her name is Michelle and she's studying to be a professor at Hogwarts. Of course that gave us something to talk about and I found out she was a really lovely witch.

It had, of course, gotten busy in the evening. Fridays are never slow. However, nothing interesting came up.

Once we finish cleaning up after the last customer, I walk over to Madame Farley. Here goes nothing. "Madame, could I have a word with you?" I ask sweetly. It's hard to be anything but nice to this woman. She's simply too kind.

"Of course, my dear. What's on your mind?"

"Well. I've just been thinking lately and I realize that I'm working a lot." I twist my hands nervously. I don't want her to think I'm ungrateful or something.

She chuckles softly, "Well, are you just noticing? It's been well over two years that you work every single day! Why, I can only recall a handful of times when you asked for a day off. You're too young to do this to yourself. Trust me!" She had a glint in her eye, "If you keep this up, you will never meet that man of your dreams, and then where will you be?"

Well. That was unexpected, to say the least. At least I know we're on the same page, though. "So you wouldn't mind if I work less, then?"

"Dear," she smiles warmly. "It's perfectly fine. What days and times would you like to work?"

I've been thinking all day and I had finally made a decision. "How about I just take Sundays off?" I still want to be making enough money to be able to save and spend comfortably. And I honestly have no idea what I would do with more days off. I'm simply not used to the free time.

"I'm giving you Saturdays as well. Your free weekends begin tomorrow. No arguments!" She declares as I open my mouth to protest. "You will have two days off a week and that's final. If you like more, feel free to ask but I will not have you working yourself this hard any longer. I had been meaning to speak with you about it for quite a while. It's the least you can do for yourself. Take a break and start living, dear!" She smiles and we walk outside so she can lock the door for the night.

Oh, Merlin. My employer even says I have no life. We say good night and I apparate back to my flat to change for the evening. I pull some muggle jeans on after another shower. Hey- no way am I going out smelling like I've been running around all day. The shirt I choose is a dark blue tank top. I pull my hair into a messy bun and search for my favorite muggle shoes. Finally, I put on some mascara and grab one of my nicer cloaks along with my purse. I quickly write Harold a letter saying that if it's more convenient for him, I could meet him earlier than 8 in the evening tomorrow, thanks to Madame Farley. All set, I decide to travel by foot. I still have plenty of time and the exercise wouldn't hurt.

The night is beautiful. I'm instantly thankful for choosing to walk instead of just apparating there. The moon and stars take my breath away and the temperature is perfect.

Tomorrow is my first year anniversary with Harold. It makes me happy but I can't help but think of Thomas. Even though Thomas and Harold are completely different from each other, my heart clenches uncomfortably. It was on the eve of our first anniversary when Thomas cheated on me. I trust Harold enough not to do the same, but I don't know… I guess I just don't want to repeat the past. I can't say I'm more attached to Harold. I honestly barely see him- once a week is frequent for us to meet. And I used to see Thomas every day in Hogwarts. But for some reason, Harold just seems like he's a lot more trustworthy and we've had some really deep conversations.

So is it bad that I'm nervous about tomorrow? I just feel like something really bad is going to happen.

Whatever. That's something to worry about tomorrow. Tonight it's just going to be Fred, George and I. And I plan to have a great time. It's been far too long since I've had a nice night out and some stupid paranoid thoughts will not ruin this for me.

With the Three Broomsticks finally in sight, my pace quickens. I'm feeling kind of excited.

"Katie!!"

I turn around and see Fred and George waving at me. I wave back cheerfully. "Fred! George! How are you two doing?" I ask as we near each other.

"Marvelous!"

"Spectacular!"

Fred offers me his arm as George runs ahead to open the door for us. He tips an imaginary hat as we walk past him.

Fred looks around and quickly selects a booth for us. I can't help but look around excitedly. We used to come here all the time. So many memories flood over me at the same time.

"Are you hungry," George asks us curiously. "Because I just so happen to be famished!"

Before he could open his mouth, Fred's stomach howls at us.

"I take that as a yes," I giggle. "And I'm hungry, too."

At that moment, three menus float over to us. We open them quickly and glance over it. For some reason I feel like the classic fish and chips. Though I must have had that hundreds of times, it sounds like the best thing ever right now. Well, who's to argue? A butterbeer will be great to drink. I grab a marker and circle my selections on the menu. I fold it and the menu disappears from my hands.

On busy nights, this is the easiest way to order. Of course, you can wait for someone to come over to take the order but that usually takes a while and the person is almost always in a bad mood.

I wait patiently for the twins to decide. There's no rush tonight. I can stay up as late as I can manage and for once, I don't have to worry about getting up at 6:30 am.

They choose their meals and the menus disappear as well. George sits up straighter and folds his arms atop the table professionally. Fred leans in closer and motions me to do the same. All three of our heads nearly touching, he glances around and whispers, "Be forewarned."

"What…?" I give him a funny look.

George speaks up, "He's on his way." He wiggles his eyebrows comically, completely ruining their seriousness.

"Who?"

"He'll be here soon. Don't fret." They sit back in their seats and beam at me. It's actually kind of creepy, if you ask me. I hate surprises but I know it's pointless to pester them. I'd rather not be on their bad side.

Breaking the silence, our drinks float down out of seemingly nowhere. I haven't had one of these since the last time I went out to eat with the twins. They ordered the same. We grab the giant mugs and clink them together.

"Cheers!" we say together and take a sip. Well. I took a sip. They downed half in one go. I shake my head at them. These two are really one of a kind. Or two of a kind. Whatever.

"Don't you shake your head at us, young lady!" Fred exclaims.

"And you not?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Because we forbid it!"

"Forbid it!" George backs his brother up.

"You two are hopeless sometimes."

"Hey!" they both cry at the same time.

"Kidding!" I laugh. "So has anything new happened since we last met?"

"We owled the girls and told them how you were. They were delighted to hear about you. Said they would run all the way back here from France just to see you if they could. I don't think they remember there's the English Channel to worry about, but if they would like to run across that, I told them to let me know so I could watch."

I giggled. They really do love me! Oh, I feel so special now.

"They don't even have time to apparate back over here for a few hours or something. It's far too busy for them." Fred said somberly.

His sudden mood change took me by surprise. "Well, just think of how nice it will be when they come back. Right? After being separated for so long, it's going to be better than ever to see them again." I say. There's no much else I could think to say.

"Hey, she's right, Fred!" George pat his brother on the back. "Just think of the major snogging you two will be doing!"

I squeal in disgust. "GEORGE! Please!"

"What did he do this time?" A new voice asks. Who…? Wait! I know that voice!! I turn and see Oliver Wood standing at the edge of our booth. "OLIVER!!" I cry out and jump up to give him a huge hug. "It's been so long!"

He returns the hug and I offer him the seat next to me. He looks better than ever. His hair is grown out a bit but it's still short enough to stay out of his eyes. His green sweatshirt matched his lovely eyes and clung slightly to his arms, showing off his muscles.

I find myself grinning like an idiot. I can't help it. I'm here with my best friends from Hogwarts and it's the best feeling in the world. I don't know if anything could make me happier right now. Seriously.

"It really has been too long, Katie. What's happened to you? I haven't heard from you in nearly a year!" Oliver questions me.

"Our dearest Katie pie is a workaholic." Fred states as if I have a disease. "Terrible tragedy, really. And only we can help her."

George leans in and whispers to Oliver, "She has no life, mate."

"Hey! I heard that!"

Oliver gives me a sympathetic look.

Fred leans over to George and whispers, "Oliver has no life either."

"Hey!" Oliver glares at Fred.

"I'm going to go crazy before the end of tonight." I mutter to myself. Apparently not quietly enough.

"Ya hear that Fred?" George looks at his brother with a smile, "The night is still young. We have hours to drive her crazy!"

"Yeah, well she won't be the only one." Oliver states.

"Oh, good! Two birds with one stone!"

If it weren't for our food floating over to us, I would have slammed my head on the table.

Fish and chips looks a lot more appetizing than it normally does. Maybe it's just because I haven't had fish and chips in months. Or it might be because I'm starving. Maybe both. It took me seconds to unwrap my fork and knife from the napkin that was holding them and in an instant, I was savoring the flavor.

A menu appeared in front of Oliver promptly and he circled his choices without hesitation.

"You know what?" I ask no one in particular. "I missed this. I really did. I honestly can't remember the last time I've been out just to enjoy myself."

"Did you talk to Farley about working less?" George asks me in between chewing on his meal.

"Well. Sort of. It was more like me mumbling and her saying she refuses to have me work on the weekends anymore. Said I need the time to find a husband or something along those lines." Fred nearly chokes on his butterbeer. He swallows it with difficulty and busts out laughing.

"Who'd imagine the dear and sweet Farley to be so straightforward? _'Time to find a husband.'_ That's rich, Katie!" Another roar of laughter overcomes him.

"In any case," I continue after glaring at him, "I have no idea what to do now! I've never had free time and I might just go mad with nothing to do!"

"Really? I thought you would be thrilled. I don't know how you can stay together with good old Harold since you work so much. You should welcome the extra time to snog the git gladly."

"FRED! Stop talking about snogging!"

Oliver gave me a weird look. "You're still dating him?" The twins had undoubtedly told him about their incident with Harold. "How long has it been?"

"It will be a year tomorrow. He's taking me out for dinner." I state proudly.

"Oh! Where? Tell us, Katie pie! We would love to 'accidentally' run into you." Fred has a mischievous smile.

"And spill scalding soup all over him," George mutters quietly.

"It will be a muggle restaurant, for your information, as he is, in fact, a muggle. And I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop bashing him. He is my boyfriend after all," I say defensively.

"Fine, fine. We'll keep quiet now but the second he hurts you and you realize he's a bloody git, we're going to say 'we told you so'."

"Whatever," I need a change in subject. This night was not meant for me to worry about tomorrow. I just want to have fun. "So, Oliver. How about you? Any girlfriend to speak of?"

He shifts nervously in his seat. "Well. I suppose not. I mean no." He says with his eyes downcast. Oh great. I had no idea this would make the conversation even gloomier. Good going there, Katie.

"What? No more Lisa?" Fred seems genuinely surprised. "What happened, mate?"

"I guess you could say we broke it off last week."

"Why? What happened?" I put a hand on his shoulder and he seems to tense a little.

"It's nothing, really."

"We can't let you off that easily when we apparently 'bash on Harold' too much. So tell us!" George pushes.

Realizing that it's absolutely pointless to argue with the twins, he explains. "Well, she had a problem with me always focusing on Quidditch more than her. It's my job, so of course I have to focus on it. Besides, everyone knows it's been my life-long dream to be on the team so she can't really blame me. Anyway, so I dropped in to surprise her because I felt bad. I thought it would cheer her up." His fists clenched tighter. "There she was snogging some other bloke. She looked at me, said it just wasn't working for us, and she pulled him down for more snogging! Right in front of me!"

Fred, George and I all gasp and exchange glances. We're all at a loss for words.

"Oliver, listen. You're better off without her. You need someone who can accept you for who you are. No matter what. If she can't deal with that, it's her problem and you can undoubtedly do much better. She clearly wasn't the one for you, right?"

He looks at me miserably. "Well. Yeah. You're right, I s'pose."

"You suppose? I am right, Oliver. She doesn't deserve your misery. So don't let her win." He raises his eyebrow. "Yeah, it sounds pretty stupid, but that's exactly what you told me after Thomas. Now prove to me that you weren't just lying to cheer me up. Forget her and be happy. Otherwise I'll just always think of you as a liar."

His food floated down, taking us all by surprise. Wow. I must admit, the timing here is amazing. Food will make him feel better. I hope.

I see Fred and George exchange mischievous glances. What are they up to now?

"Oliver, mate, my brother and I have decided. We're going to cheer you up but before we do anything, you have to promise to do whatever we say. Deal?"

"No." There was absolutely no hesitation.

"Come on, trust us. Do you think we would do something to you in a time like this? Answer carefully, mate." Fred has a glint in his eye. I look at them suspiciously.

"I suppose I trust you," Oliver replies, unsure of where they're going with this.

"Well, if you trust us, that means you can promise."

"Sure. I promise." The regret in his tone is evident and he sighs heavily in defeat.

"Great!" The twins smile eagerly and jump out of their seats.

"What have I done," he mutters as they leave.

I pat him on the back comfortingly. "I'm sure they won't prank you. Are you going to be ok? Tell me the truth."

"Yeah. I just need time. It just bothers me my job is more important to me than my personal life, ya know? And it's not like I can do much about it." He's quiet for a moment. "Sorry about this. I'll keep my mouth shut now. It's not your problem to deal with."

"Oh, don't be silly. How many times have you stuck up for me, Oliver? How many guys have you beat up for me? Don't worry about it."

The sound clinking approaches us. Four giant mugs slide across the table and the twins take their seats. I should have known. They want to get him drunk. Are they crazy? Oliver doesn't drink!

Before I knew what was going on, the three of them each had a mug in their hands. They cried 'cheers!' and took a huge swig. Fred and George didn't surprise me. I mean, come on. It's the twins. But Oliver?

"I promised them anyway. They wouldn't let me leave until I keep my promise, so why make a big argument about nothing?"

I suppose he's right.

"Well? Aren't you going to drink, Katie?" George looks at me expectantly.

"Not tonight. I don't want a hangover on my anniversary. Thanks, for the offer, though. Besides, someone has to look out for you three, no?"

Fred sighs loudly and slams his now empty mug on the table. It instantly refills on its own. Grinning, he explains. "I asked for unlimited refills. Wonderful, is it not?"

Oh, Merlin. It's going to be a long night.

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So... now just click the button under this and review! Let me know what you think. I would also appreciate ideas for future chapters. I have the next 2 and a half chapters pretty much planned out. They're in the finishing stages at the moment. Now, clearly this is a KBOW fic, so obviously I can't hide the fact that at some point, they're going to get together. That said, let me know if you have any thoughts on the matter! Thanks a ton! 


	5. Pancakes

Yay! I'm back. I would like to thank Estrelita and Fantasygirl26 and dedicate this chapter to them. It's been 3 weeks since my last update because I'm honestly really disappointed in my lack of feedback. I've written far ahead but what's the point of posting it if no one's going to tell me what they think?

To those that are wondering, yes- I wrote this before DH. I cried 5 seperate times while reading that... it was amazingly good. And when they said that Katie Bell and Oliver Wood showed up, I actually screamed and had a stupid grin on my face for like 5 minutes. But despite all the deaths (I won't ruin it for those that have yet to read it), I am keeping that person alive because I love him too much.

Anyway... I really like this chap and I hope you do as well. And review, please! I'll post MUCH sooner if I know you guys like itor hate it or whatever.. just let me know so I can write accordingly.

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An hour and a half had passed since Fred, George and Oliver had begun drinking. Fred was hammered. He was grinning like an idiot, his head leaning against the wall. A slightly less drunk George was having a discussion with Oliver. Oh, the topic, you ask? Muggles. They had been talking about how stupid Harold is because he's a muggle and that just led to the current topic of how all muggles must be stupid, as they share the same genes as Harold. I'm not letting it get to me. I know they're far beyond gone and I can't blame them for expressing themselves. Besides, it's rather amusing listening to them trying to figure out how muggles live.

Take, for example, they realized that muggles can't just slam their empty mugs on the table and have them instantly refilled. 'Having to get up and get it refilled every time?! PREPOSTEROUS!' George had exclaimed. Oliver agreed completely. For me the thought of having unlimited instant refills of alcohol was the worse idea.

"And if they want to light something, they need a match or electricipee!" George says wide-eyed. "We just say 'lumos' and it's done! But either they fumble with a match to light a candle or they flick a switch that makes lights come on from the ceiling. And they have to _pay_ for electricipee, too! How unlucky for them," he slurs occasionally.

"Eeeel-ex-trip-is-pee? Eeeel-ex-trip-is-pee." Oliver tries to pronounce the word cautiously.

"The bloke's got it! Right, Katie?" George reaches down for his mug.

"Eeeel-ex-trip-is-pee!" Oliver exclaims loudly.

Oh, Merlin. I smack my forehead. That's it. I'm not going to let them make fools of themselves in this place. Especially since all of them have reputations to worry about.

As if by magic, a bill floats down from above us. Wait- it was magic. Duh. I grab the correct amount and pay for all of us. I don't mind. I have plenty of money saved up, and they did devote themselves to helping me get a life. It's the least I could do. "Alright, guys. I think it's time we head home, eh?"

Oliver and George stare at me, all previous conversation forgotten. Fred is still staring off into space. I shoo Oliver out of the booth so I can stand. George rises as well. Fred doesn't even realize we've moved. I grab his arm and he finally makes eye contact with me. "It's time to go, Fred." I feel like I'm talking to a five-year-old. He nods and lets me drag him out. He links arms with me and we start to walk out. Oliver and George sway dangerously but link arms and hold each other up.

Once on the street I feel more relieved. It's nearly 11. The streets are not too busy now. The shops are all closed and the only places open are the bars. But most people are still getting drunk so we won't run into many people, I think reasonably. Fred is calm and just looks around as we walk. He trips over himself a couple of times but I help him up before he can fall. He leans on my arm heavily. It's a shame that we can't just apparate ourselves home but that takes concentration. I'd rather not risk having either of them appear with missing body parts.

George laughs loudly so I listen to what Oliver is saying. "No, really. You don't believe me, do you, Fred?" He thinks he's talking to Fred. I shake my head and smile. "I will woo her! Just you wait, Fred!" So I suppose the twins' plan worked. They know he's not going to forget about Lisa any time soon. They just wanted to get him drunk enough to make him realize he really liked someone else this entire time. They really are ingenious sometimes. Boy, that really is painful to say.

George replies, "It doesn't matter, Oliver. Quidditch is still your Number One. And as long as it is, it doesn't matter if you woo her. The woman needs to be Number One. NUMBER ONE!" he screams the last part.

"GEORGE!" I hiss. "People are trying to sleep! Keep it down!"

Oliver snickers. "Don't make her angry, Fred!"

Am I missing something? I don't have a temper! Whatever. I focus on the road again. It's about fifteen more minutes on foot to the twins' flat. I need to take them home first. I can't carry Fred AND George by myself so they're the first stop. Besides, I don't even know where Oliver lives. My eyes widen in panic. Oh, no. Is he going to be able to remember? Merlin, this sucks.

We finally reach the flat. Finally. I unlock the door with my wand, saying the same spells they did when they brought me here on Monday. Thank Merlin I was paying attention. "Lumos!" I say, nearly out of breath. Some candles flicker on, giving us enough light. This place is disgusting! I notice a thick layer of dust on the light fixture over the kitchen table. Great. I'm allergic to dust. I have to get out of here before my allergies act up. I lead Fred to the couch and he falls onto it. My shoulders ache like mad.

George runs up to me out of nowhere, making me nearly scream in surprise. "THANK YOU, KATIE PIE! I love you. Not like a lover. But like a friend. A very very very very good friend. I do. I-"

"Thank you, George." I interrupt. Good grief. They're like children. "Now go to bed, alright? Go on." He tips an imaginary hat to Oliver and stumbles off to what I guess is his room.

I look over at Fred but he's passed out. He'll be fine here, too. What does it matter where he sleeps? The couch is likely as dirty as his own bed. "Good night," I say, just in case. I don't like being rude.

"GOOD NIGHT FRED! GOOD NIGHT GE-" Oliver shouts but I run and cover his mouth.

"No more yelling, alright?"

He nods so I pull my hand away. "-ORGE!"

For crying out loud. I grab his arm and quickly drag him out of the flat. The twins are asleep. I don't want to wake them. All I have to worry about is Oliver now. Let's keep it that way. I shut the door and repeat the incantations to lock it.

Great. Two down. One to go. Knowing the twins safely at home, I take a huge breath. I can handle one drunk person well enough. Three of them made me panic a little.

"Katie? I'm hungry." I turn to look at Oliver. He looks like an adorable little kid. His eyes are wide and his bottom lip is jutted out a bit. "Can we get food?" Didn't he just have dinner? Ugh. Well, I might as well feed him. It may sober him up a little. Then I can ask for directions to his house.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"Pancakes!" he cries excitedly.

Oh, dear Merlin. "Oliver, it's almost midnight! There are no pancakes around here!"

"Pancakes, Katie. Please… I always eat pancakes when I'm drunk." He's almost begging now. He always eats pancakes when he's drunk? As in- he does this often? I might just have to talk to him about that later.

"Please? It makes me feel better." I give him a look. "Really. It sobers me up for some reason. And it calms my stomach." I'll just humor him. What harm can it do?

"Fine. We'll go to my place and I'll make you some pancakes. Does that sound ok?"

He nods and goes to take a step but stumbles. I quickly grab his arm before he falls on his face. "You're still too drunk to walk on your own, I suppose. Just hold onto my arm so you don't trip."

This is going to be a looooonnnngggg walk. It takes nearly a half hour to get to my flat from here on foot. Oh, and I'll have to carry someone who will be putting most of his weight on me for support. As if I didn't just have to drag Fred for the past twenty minutes. Oh- and I'm normally dead asleep by now! Maybe I should have just gotten drunk. At least I wouldn't be in so much pain and I'd be laughing at nothing just like Oliver is right now. Yeah- he's laughing at nothing. Well I'm glad he's happy. I'm glad he's laughing his butt off and I'm breaking my back.

After what seems like hours, my flat is finally comes creeping into sight. Oliver's laughing had stopped some time ago and now he was just muttering to himself. I heard the word 'quaffle' repeated numerous times. I would cry out in joy if it wasn't nearly 1am. We had gotten side tracked a few times. Oliver had suddenly run off twice. He didn't make it far- he just tripped a few meters away and busted out laughing. But having to pick him up was a feat much, much harder than it sounds. I don't have much muscle to speak for. He threw up once along the way. Oh- and we ended up sitting for five minutes underneath a street light on a muggle road because he said he was scared of the dark.

We finally reach my building and I shove him into the elevator. I push "3" and we begin to move. He nearly jumps on me. "Katie! What's going on?!"

"This is an elevator, Oliver. It takes you up and down. Right now we are going up to my flat's level. This is an alternative to stairs." The door slides open. "See? It saved us time."

There's my door! Oh, Merlin. My door! I actually feel a tear come to my eye. I fumble for my keys and unlock it. Once inside with the door locked once more, I slide down on a wall. I can't even make it to my couch. Oh, how nice it feels to sit and lean against something. I feel another tear come to my eye. And another. Oh, don't tell me I'm going to cry over something so silly!

Are you kidding me?! I just dragged 3 guys for nearly two hours! I'm overwhelmingly tired and my muscles are pulsing so hard it feels like they're just going to rip themselves out of my skin! Of course this is a good reason to cry! More tears flow down my cheeks. I pull my knees up and bury my face in my hands. I don't want Oliver to see this but I know that I can't hold it in now.

"What are you doing?" I hear his voice a few feet away.

"Nothing, Oliver. Go sit down on one of the couches, alright? I'll make you some pancakes in a minute."

"Are you sure?" He seems hesitant.

"Please."

I hear his footsteps fade slightly and a sudden plop onto my couch.

I let my emotional breakdown go on for another minute or two, then wipe my eyes. Once I feel composed and cleaned up enough, I stand. A quick glance in the mirror reassures me that it looks like nothing happened. It was a foolish thing to cry over and I don't need to be questioned. I'm fine now, anyway. I just needed to let that out. I really do feel better.

Oliver is on his back staring at the ceiling. I faintly hear him mumble names of constellations. Suddenly, his eyes light up and he points his finger at the ceiling, making an arc with it. "A shooting star!" he exclaims excitedly.

I try to stifle my laughter. "Quick! Make a wish!"

"Uhmm… I wish to woo the love of my life. I want her in my life. With me."

Wait. Wait. _What?_ He wants to woo Lisa back? After what she's done? I actually kind of feel bad for him. He still wants her back.

I need to make this man pancakes. He needs to sober up. I go to my kitchen and pull out the ingredients and a pan. Oliver unexpectedly lurches into my kitchen. "Katie?" He sounds serious so I turn around and look him in the eyes.

"Hmm?"

"I love pancakes, Katie." He nearly chokes on the words, they hold so much emotion.

I have to bite my lip so hard I think it may draw blood. Don't laugh. He's being serious… don't laugh!

I turn around so he can't see my face. I lean my forehead on the cabinet next to the stove. I flip a pancake as I nearly die of silent laughter. "Go sit at the table, Oliver. Your pancakes will be ready in a minute," I say as soon as I can compose myself.

I place the finished food in front of him and take a seat across from the drunk Quidditch maniac. He promptly attacks the stack of pancakes and sighs contently.

"So good! I never knew you could cook!" He shoves another fork-full into his mouth. "Best pancakes I've ever had!"

Of course, this makes me grin like an idiot. Drunk or not, your stomach doesn't lie.

After devouring the meal easily big enough for three, he leans back in his chair and just stares off into space for about five minutes. I don't mind. I know he's trying to clear his mind. The food should help him sober up. Taking the free time, I grab a letter that Salem had left me. I hadn't even noticed it earlier.

_Baby Cakes,_

_Let's meet at the park at the same time. I have some things to take care of until then and I need the time to get ready. I'm sorry I can't see you earlier. I promise it will be a night you'll never forget._

_Love, Your Stud Muffin_

Well that's kind of weird. He doesn't have work on Saturdays so why does he need the entire day? He can't even meet me an hour or two earlier?

"I'm sorry about this." Oliver's voice interrupts my thoughts. "I didn't think I would get this out of hand." He sounds a lot better. I can tell he still has a moderately strong buzz, but he's not completely hopeless. "I'll make it up to you. Really."

"Don't worry about it." A yawn and a wave of sleepiness creep up on me. There is no way I can take him home. I'm simply too exhausted. It's amazing I even got this far. And I won't let him stumble out of here alone. "Look. Do you mind if you spend the night here? I don't think I'll be able to stay awake for another ten minutes. My couch folds out into a bed. It's really comfortable, I swear."

"Bed? Yeah. Yeah, bed." He sounds more tired than drunk now. Well at least he's sobering up.

I go over to my living room and charm my coffee table to move to a corner. I remove the pillows from the couch and fold out the bed. Some charmed, fresh sheets float over to me and I pull them over the bed. Oliver walks up next to me. "Sleep?" he mumbles.

"Yes, Oliver. Sleep," I tell him as I pull out some pillows for him.

He sits on the edge of the bed. "Thanks, Katie. I'll make it up to you." He reassures me again.

"It's fine. Good night," I say with another yawn.

"Good night. Sweet dreams."

I'm too exhausted by now to respond. I drag my feet to my room, close the door, and lock it. Just in case. I'm not worried about Oliver pulling anything- I'm just a paranoid person. I sit on my bed for a second. I just need to rest before I can change into my pajamas. Just one second. Ok. A few more seconds. Alright- I'll get up-

_BEEP!!!_

I twitch. I groan. I yawn. I go back to sleep. There's no way I can get u-

_BEEP!!!_

Huh? No. I don't want to go to work today. Please. No work. Too sleepy. Not today….

_BEEEEEEEPPPPPPP!!!!!_

"SON OF A BI-" I scream, infuriated with my alarm clock. I stop myself just in time. I'm a freakin' idiot for setting that thing to go off automatically every morning. I need to adjust it now. Ugh. I feel so grumpy. I need my sleep. As long as I get at least eight hours, I'll be alright. But any less than that and I'll gladly bite someone's head off. I pound my fist on the "Off" button furiously and curl up under my covers again. I can afford to sleep in today. After all, I do need this after last night.

Ten minutes later I throw the blankets off of me, enraged. I can't get comfortable. And I'm used to having to stay awake after my alarm goes off so despite me desperately wanting to sleep, my body keeps laughing at me, saying 'no'.

Damn. It.

I sit up and wipe the sleepies from my eyes. My stomach grumbles seconds later. Great. After such a strenuous night, my body burned off all the energy I got from my dinner- if you could even count that for anything. So now my body is hungry, even if I don't have an appetite.

Take a deep breath. I inhale and exhale slowly. I'll just go make some breakfast. Maybe Oliver will be hungry, too. I'll just cook something simple. Pancakes? Yeah. That sounds good. He'll love it. I'll make that and….

I think for a few moments. What am I hungry for? Actually, cereal sounds great.

I feel a bit better. I'll just make some breakfast for the two of us and then I'll crawl back into bed. I can sleep the entire day away if I want. The thought cheers me up noticeably more. Well- I don't have a nasty scowl on my face anymore.

I look down at my clothes. Did I actually fall asleep in last night's clothes? Ugh. I feel disgusting. I change into some loose-fitting sweatpants and a tank top. Afterwards, I wash my face and brush my hair. This makes me feel even better. By the time I get to my kitchen, I feel like my normal self. All anger has vanished.

With pancakes cooking on the stove, I make some cereal for myself. Great. Once the meal is done, everything is brought to the table and set up nicely. As I said before- I'm a neat-freak.

"Oliver, breakfast is ready!" I call from the table as I put out some napkins.

There's no response so I walk over to the pull-out bed.

Awwww….. How adorable.

That's sarcasm, by the way. My dear friend is spread out all over the place. All the pillows are on the floor, undoubtedly knocked over during the night. His sheets are tangled up around his legs and his arms are raised high above his head. Did I mention that he drools?

"Oliver." No response. "Oliver!!" Nothing. I yell out his name but there's no reaction. Not even a twitch. Great- after the millions of times he's made me get up at the crack of dawn for Quidditch practice, he won't even let me get revenge. "Ugh. Forget it. Your precious pancakes can wait and get cold," I mutter and walk back to the table. I'm just going to eat my cereal and go back to sleep. Sleep. The word never sounded so amazing.

The second I sit down, I see Oliver bolt upright. It takes me by surprise and I just stare at him in slight fear. He looks around, confused. Then he sniffs the air. "Pancakes." I can faintly hear him whisper. Oh, Merlin. He slowly turns his head this way and that, trying to sniff out the whereabouts of his beloved food. He gingerly rises and looks at me.

"Katie?" He looks surprised. "Uh. Good morning. I think."

"Good morning," I reply as he walks over and takes a seat.

"So." He takes a moment to formulate the words. "So last night…"

"Let me guess. You don't remember?" It's written all over his face. There's a slight shake of his head.

"Fred and George got you drunk. Eat before your food gets cold." I point my spoon at his pancakes.

He grabs a fork and takes a bite. He looks unsure of himself. "So. What happened? What did I do? Was I a git to you? I'm so sorry, Katie."

I smile reassuringly and he seems to relax a bit. "Don't worry. You didn't do anything bad." I explain certain parts of the night to him, laughing at some points. I'll admit- he is really funny. I was just too grumpy to see it.

He groans and buries his face in his hands. "I can't believe I let myself get so wasted. Especially in front of you."

"Now why would that matter?"

"I just don't want you to think I'm a fool."

I recall how he begged me for pancakes. "Of course you're not a fool, Oliver." He really isn't. He wasn't in his right state of mind. I can't count that against him.

He was silent for a few moments. "I really am sorry about last night. Now that I have a chance to recall it, I do remember some things." He looks me in the eyes, "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"Really- you don't have to."

"I will and that's the end of it."

We eat the rest of our meals with a casual conversation. He told me he has to go feed his owl and get ready for Quidditch practice. That sport still consumes his life.

"You know, you really do make great pancakes." He smiles warmly.

I grin like an idiot. Again. _Again…_ I don't know why simple compliments make me so happy. "Thanks. It's nothing, though. Really."

He grabs his empty plate and my bowl and takes them to my sink. "What are you doing?!" I run into the kitchen after him but he blocks me out.

"Go sit down. I'll wash the dishes."

"No. They're my dishes. I'll wash them."

"Well, that's too bad today. Just go sit down."

I'm still really tired so I decide not to argue. Besides- once Oliver is set on doing something, he's sure to get it done. He's the most stubborn person I've ever met.

I sigh in defeat and decide to go clean up my living room. I take the sheets off of Oliver's makeshift bed and put them in my laundry room. Then, after refolding the bed, replacing the pillows on the couch, and moving my coffee table back, I take a seat. Oliver comes and sits down across from me a moment later.

"Thank you." I say referring to the dishes.

"Are you kidding? I'm not a selfish prick. Of course I'm going to help you out. Now then- I'd like to take you out to dinner to make up for last night. I suppose you ended up paying for all of us as well?"

"Don't worry about it. I work my butt off anyway- it's not like I don't have money, Oliver. Seriously. It's fine. Besides, I'm going out tonight with Harold."

"Tomorrow night is fine with me. I'll be here at 7. No arguments." He pauses for a second as if debating something in his mind. "Katie… look. I know it's not my place or anything, but I'm worried about you and Harold. I don't want you to go through the same thing I had to with Lisa. I mean, you see him even less than I saw her and that would make most guys start looking for someone on the side."

Is he saying Harold is cheating on me?! "He's not cheating, Oliver. I'm sorry about Lisa but Harold isn't like that, alright? We've been together for a year today and he wouldn't do something stupid."

He hesitates. "I don't want to make you upset. But actually that's exactly what you said about Thomas back at Hogwarts before he became a man whore."

"How dare you even think of comparing Harold to that arrogant git?!"

"Katie, calm down. I didn't mean it like that." I force myself to take a deep breath. I don't want to lose Oliver as quickly as I found him. "I just don't want you to get hurt. That's all."

"I know. I believe you. I'm just really sick of everyone bashing him. And he's nothing like Thomas."

"Well, you trust him so I suppose that's all that matters." He's quiet again for a moment then stands. "I really should be getting back to my flat. My owl must be going crazy. And practice starts in a little bit."

I stand as well.

"Tomorrow night at 7, Katie. No excuses. Bye then." He gives me a wave and a small smile. With that, he apparates out of my flat.

With a yawn, I go back to my bed. In no time I fall asleep again.


	6. Harold

If I'm Falling, Why Does It Feel Like I'm Flying?

Yay! I'm back. This chap isn't the best but it's quite nessesary. Apparently.

My thanks to my lovely reviewers- estrelita, fantasygirl26, and can't think. .

Sorry for the wait!

* * *

I think I'm ready. I'm wearing a cute little black dress with heels. My make-up is light and my hair is half pinned up. My purse contains my wand, lipstick, a compact mirror and mints. I bring a few sickles and pounds just in case. I have little muggle money but I hate not having anything on me. It's times like these that I'm grateful for the Currency Exchange a few stores down from Madame Farley's.

Great. I check myself in the mirror once more and finally make my way to the park.

I get there a bit early so I just walk around, looking at a fountain. The statue is of a lion on his hind legs, pawing at the sky. From his open jaws flows clear water into a huge marble pool. I enjoy the sound of the trickle and the birds in a few trees away. A breeze lightly touches my cheeks, making me smile. It's so serene here.

I take a seat off to the edge of the courtyard and let my eyes go over the detail in the stone lion. It reminds me of Gryffindor more than anything. I think that's why I'm so fascinated by it. I just somehow connect with the statue. It's a symbol of magic in a muggle world. That's how I like it- I don't want to rely completely on magic for everything, which is why I have muggle appliances and such. But neither do I want to just give up magic. I balance the two and I guess you could say the stone lion symbolizes that for me.

"Katherine Bell, you look stunning," says a deep voice from next to me. I was too deep in my thoughts to notice Harold walk up to me. I jump a little in surprise. He just smiles and offers his hand.

I take it and he kisses me on the cheek. "How are you, Sugar?"

"Marvelous," he replies. "Happy Anniversary, Babe."

I smile. He just makes me so happy. "Happy Anniversary."

"So you ready, then?" I nod and he leads me off to his car.

We pull up next to one of the fanciest muggle restaurants I've heard of. My parents used to come here when I was still living with them. They said the food was spectacular. I can feel excitement washing over me. I've never been here before.

Harold offers his arm and we walk inside.

"Welcome to Restaurant Luxueux. Do you have reservations, sir?" A man greets us.

"We have a reservation under Harold Winters."

The man repeats the name and runs his finger down a list of names. "Yes, sir. Right this way, please."

We are led to a partially secluded table for two.

"So, Katie." Harold begins after our meals had been ordered. "How have you been since we last saw each other? What has it been? Two weeks?"

"Yeah, I think so. I've just been working like always. I talked with my boss, though, and she let me take weekends off. So now we can spend more time together." I smile warmly.

"Oh. Wonderful."

"Yeah. And I met up with my old friends from my uh… high school. You met them- we went on a triple date a while back."

"Oh. Them." He says a bit darkly but covers up quickly. "Well, I'm glad you're happy, then."

I give him a look but let his sudden mood change go. He's smiling again. Our meals are placed in front of us and our water glasses refilled.

"So, how is your hotel? Any new employees? How is John?" I say after a few moments of silent eating. Harold is one of three head managers for a large and continuously busy hotel chain. His co-manager, John, had gotten him promoted and they are close friends.

"John is great." He takes a sip of water. "And the hotel is smashing. We've been getting more and more business every day. I suppose people think it's a great time to travel. It's great for us, either way."

"I'm happy for you."

After light conversation and amazingly delicious food, we head back to the car. "So, Katie?"

"Hmm?" I buckle my seatbelt

"We've been dating for a year. Don't you think it's time you showed me your flat?"

I freeze and try to think of an excuse desperately. "Uh." What should I say?! I can't take him there now! Nothing is put away! I should have anticipated this. "Well, actually it's a mess right now." I smile, hoping he didn't catch my panic. "I couldn't possibly show you tonight."

"Oh, don't be silly." He pulls out of the parking spot. "Which direction shall I go?"

NO! We are NOT going to my flat!!! "Let's just go back to your place. I really miss Whiskers." Whiskers is his cat. That's enough to make him just go back to his flat, isn't it? Please. Please. Please!

"Whiskers is asleep, anyway. Now, is it left or right?"

"Which way to get to your flat?"

"Left."

"Left it is.

"Katie, are you hiding something?" He looks at me seriously.

I start to panic but try to keep my face from showing distress. My palms are getting sweaty. I'm not ready to tell him about what I am yet! I know I get those reoccurring dreams that tell me I should, but I just can't! Especially tonight! I don't want this beautiful night to be ruined.

"Katie?" He questions again.

"Turn right here." I say, giving in and trying to hide my nervousness. Oh, Merlin. I have to think of something. The fear swelling in me is about to take over. I think I'm going to be sick. Forcing myself to swallow my nausea, I give Harold further directions. Seriously, I'm really just not ready for this at all. I'm just not! What am I going to do? What am I going to say? _'Harold, I'm a witch.'_ Oh, Fred and George were right! I should have told him sooner. It would have been much better. Deep breaths, Katie. Deep breaths.

Ugh. That just makes me sicker.

Wait! That's it!

"Harold? Can we stop by somewhere and get a cup of tea? I'm fresh out at home," I lie. "Besides, we could look at the stars for a bit."

He looked at me cheerfully. "Wonderful idea, Muffin."

I smile back uncomfortably.

He pulls into the nearest coffee shop. "What kind of tea would you like?"

"Umm… you know what? Just surprise me, ok? I need to use the ladies' room."

"Oh. Ok."

I walk casually around the corner towards the restroom and once out of his sight, I run as fast as I can. Good. No one else is here. I slam the door to the ladies' room shut and lock it. I don't want to have to worry about anyone seeing me. Just in case, I rush into a stall and lock that too. I instantly apparate to my flat.

Without giving myself time to breathe, I run to the fireplace and grab all the magical photographs. Once shoved into a random drawer, I dash into the kitchen. I look around in terror. Most of my food products are from the wizarding world! Oh, Merlin. I can't do anything about these! I'll just have to say they're from a new grocery store line.

I glance around once more, making sure I didn't miss anything and apparate back to the restroom stall. I freeze for a moment, listening to make sure no one else had gotten into the bathroom. It sounds quiet. I tentatively unlock and open the stall door and look about. Great! I grin and rush out of the ladies room.

Harold is sitting outside with two steaming cups.

"Sorry about that, Muffs." I smile at him to show my sincerity.

"No problem. This vanilla latte is smashing! Try your tea. I hope it's a flavor you like."

I sip at it cautiously, not wanting to burn my tongue. "Peach! I love it!"

"Now why are you so nervous about me going to your place? I really want to see where you live. I don't really care if it's messy or not- normal people don't have spotless homes 24/7. And besides, it's kind of weird that you don't tell me much about yourself. You told me plenty about your childhood up to age ten or so but after that I don't know much at all."

Yeah- that would be because I went to Hogwarts then and I can't exactly tell him about that. "And now that I think about it, you won't tell me where you work so I can't ever visit you. On top of that, I don't even have your phone number!" He chuckles to himself. "You sure are the odd one," he mutters.

I'm so fearful at this point that I can physically feel the color and warmth drain from my body. Hex me. Please. My hands shake as I reach for my cup.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that for some time now, actually. And another thing, while we're on the subject, is why you insist on using your owl as our only communication?"

"My grandmother." I lie quickly. "When she passed away, she left me her owl. I can't just leave it in a cage all the time. Why not use it? Besides, it loves flying."

"Well it looks strange for an owl to be delivering letters, Katie. Why don't you have a phone?"

"Wow! This tea is amazing! I should get some of this. What is it again? Peach? Oh, this really is delicious." _WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!_ My heart is skipping multiple beats at a time and it's making me sick. Drinking sweet tea is only making the nausea worse but if I stop, I'll have nothing to change the subject by.

"And you always do this when I ask you about it. You always somehow manage to change the subject. For the past 7 months you've avoided this."

"How is your latte? What is it? Vanilla?" I reach over and take a sip. OH! HOW can he drink that stuff!? Coffee is absolutely disgusting! I gag slightly. "Well, that's why I got tea." My fake smile is plastered on my face by now.

"Katie." His tone is serious.

Damn it! Think of something, you fool! I open my mouth to say how lovely the stars are but he puts his hands on mine, silencing me and making me look into his eyes.

"Is this all because of that one bloke you dated a few years ago? What was his name? Thomas? You said he traumatized you and that's why you didn't initially give me your telephone number." I nod hesitantly, knowing where this was going. "But it's been a year now. You can trust me, right?"

"Of course, Harold."

"So why have you been so distant this whole time?" He looks at me expectantly.

"Well, it's just hard for me to trust people."

"You just said you already trust me."

"Right."

"So…."

"So…."

"So why are you panicking? Why do you insist on keeping distance between us? How can you ever expect us to get closer if you won't even let me in to your life?"

Well that just pushed me into a corner. Awesome. _Bloody. Freaking. Awesome_. How he has managed to stay with me for this long when I've been like this is beyond me. Any normal guy would have left within a week or two. I want to tell him just to get it over with. To get rid of those stupid dreams. To get all of this off my chest. It has been bothering me that I can't let myself get close to him. And I hate keeping this from him. I really do. I guess tonight will be the night, after all.

"This isn't really the place to talk about it, Harold. Let's just go back to your flat, then."

"Don't you mean yours?"

"Yeah," I hide my face as I take another sip of tea. "Yeah. Let's get going to my place."

The car ride was pretty much silent the rest of the way, except for me pointing out where and when to turn. Finally we pull up at my building.

"I'll be honest- I'm excited to finally see where my girlfriend lives," Harold says as we enter the elevator, trying to lighten my mood. We both know there's a lot of explaining to do and he can sense my trembling through our linked hands.

I barely take notice of his comment as I fumble in my purse and realize in horror that I forgot to bring my keys. Most of the time I just open my door using magic because it's much easier and I don't want to risk losing my keys. I pale visibly and my fingers close around my wand. I'm going to have to pull this off somehow.

I whisper the spell to unlock the door and point my wand in that direction. At the same moment, I manage to fake a sneeze.

"Are you catching a cold, Muffin?"

"Oh. No, I'm fine. Really. No cold here!" I'm burning up, actually. I turn the doorknob and step inside, fumbling with the light switch. This is awkward. For simple stuff like this, I use magic.

Harold steps inside and I close the door behind him. He looks around as I lean my forehead on the door for a second, taking a few calming breaths. They don't work.

I hear him gasp and my heart rate quickens instantly. "What?" My voice squeaks noticeably.

"I love it! How could you keep this from me for so long? It's smashing!" He turns to me.

"Well, have a seat. Would you like something to eat? A drink, perhaps?"

Without him answering, I decide that I need a minute to think of how to bring up my situation. I drop my purse next to the couch and force myself to walk calmly to the kitchen. Once inside I take numerous deep breaths.

"I could go for some water." I hear him say from behind me. I thought I told him to sit down! He can't be in here! Get him out, Katie! NOW!

"Oh! Water!" I try to keep the panic out of my voice. "I'll get it for you, Muff."

"Don't be ridiculous. You're a waitress at work. Not for me. You don't have to act like a hostess. You're my girlfriend, for crying out loud. I'll get it."

Before I could stop him, he opens my refrigerator. His hand stops in mid-grab. He just stays in that position for a few moments, staring inside of my refrigerator. Finally, he reaches in and pulls out a carton of milk. _'The milk that stays fresh for years!'_ The carton claimed in bold letters on the side. He reads the words aloud and then turns to look at me.

I laugh nervously. "There's a new grocery store down the road. It has the funniest products ever, wouldn't you say?"

He laughs as well. "I'll have to check that store out! You really had me going!" He replaces the milk and pulls out a bottle of water. _'Straight from the Himalayas!'_ He read the claim and laughed again. "You have to show me that store!"

"Right." I follow him back to the living room and plop down on the couch beside him. He wraps his arms around me and we snuggle in comfortable silence for the next half hour. I can feel myself being enveloped in his presence and it calms me slowly. I love this feeling. I just feel so serene and happy.

He suddenly reaches down and pulls me closer to his face. Gently, his lips brush mine and we engage in a romantic kiss. I feel so warm and bubbly right now. His tongue slides over mine. I sigh happily.

But after a while, I notice that he's not completely concentrated on the kiss. I can feel his hands start to close around me-

I bust out laughing. "STOP! I hate being tickled!!!!" He grins at me but refuses to cease. "HAROLD! Cut it out!!! PLEASE!"

"What was that, Muffin?" He's laughing by now, too. "What are the magic words?"

"Stop!!! I love you!" I choke out between laughs.

"There we go!" He grins at me. "I love you t-"

I shove him off of me unexpectedly so his sentence is cut off. I peek my head over the couch and laugh. "That's what you get!"

We both giggle and I reach down to tickle back. My hands fly up his shirt; he's much more sensitive if I tickle on bare skin. He roars with laughter, "Katie! Quit!"

My hands freeze and I back off.

He sits up and adjusts his shirt, but the second he sees my serious expression, his hands fall. "What's wrong, Muffin?"

"What is that!?" I point at his chest.

He looks down. "… my shirt? I didn't think it was that ugly."

"Take it off, Harold."

Surprised at my sudden forcefulness, he gives me a weird look but complies. "Now what is so wrong, then?"

Three huge hickeys are scattered around his chest and abs. Hickeys I didn't leave. Oh- and judging by their rather dark color, they're very recent.

Finally realizing what changed my mood so suddenly, he tries to explain. "Katie- I was helping my friend move and I ran into something. It's not what you think!"

"Oh, really? Did you run into some woman's open mouth? There are clear teeth marks around them! Merlin! They're from today!"

"Merlin?"

Harold hastily puts the shirt back on and stands. "How long has this been going on? Is this why you couldn't meet me earlier?!" He looks me in the eyes but remains silent. "YOU CHEATED ON ME THE DAY OF OUR ANNIVERSARY!"

I'm burning up and my face is red at this point. The nerve of him! I'm too angry to cry. All I can do is scream. "I trusted you, you swine!"

"Katie…"

"GET OUT OF MY FLAT!

"Katie, can't we talk about this first?"

My hand itches to grab my wand but I restrain myself. I'd gladly hex him. We'll see how far he goes if I transfigure his manly part into a rock. "Get. Out." I say acidly but he still makes no movements. "GET OUT OR I'LL CALL THE FUCKING AUTHORITIES!"

He looks at me with no emotion and finally heads for the door. Without a second glance, he shuts the door behind him.

* * *

Alright. This is the part I'm having minor writer's block on. I would greatly appreciate any ideas for future chapters. I'd appreciate reviews for this one even more!! Let me know what you think. Remember- the more reviews, the sooner the next chap! 


	7. Box of Monsters

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

I'm back! Well, I started my new college life this week so I appologise in advance.. I may not be updating as often. That and my birthday is coming up soon:) Just 4 days until I'm legal! Of course, reviews can always change my priorities. ::Cough:: Anyway.. I made this chapter extra long just for you guys. I really enjoyed writing this one so I hope you like it just as much.

And as always, this is dedicated to estrelita, fantasygirl26, and lozzie84. Thanks so much!!! Just letting you know, it was completely different before I read your reviews. And you're all right- the twins are the perfect people to go to! I hadn't even thought of that. So everyone needs to thank them!

* * *

Needless to say, after Harold left last night, I just went to bed and cried my eyes out. Again. I can't believe him! Sure, maybe we didn't see each other enough and I wasn't exactly normal as far as muggles go. But I owled him every single day and at least I remained faithful! And the whole year I spent with him, he was screwing around with other women! The nerve! I don't feel bad at all for not telling him my secret. At least I loved only him. 

Those were my last thoughts as I fell asleep last night. Then this morning the same ranting filled my every thought. I cried and paced my living room as I cursed his name and everything about him. My thoughts led in circles and I just repeated myself for the most part. I used every profanity I've ever known and chained them into long run-on sentences. When that got too repetitive, I mixed up those profanities and made countless new ones.

I need to talk. If I stay here all day, I'll just wallow in misery. I have three guys to go to. Three guys and all of them will say 'I told you so'. Ugh.

Well I'm just going to have to deal with it, now aren't I? Without giving myself time to change my mind, I apparate to the twins' flat.

A wave of nearly toxic fumes immediately consumes me. I try to hold my breath but only succeed in breathing in rancid air. Panicking, I try to use my shirt as a filter. No improvement. As I look about the twins' abode, it dawns on me that there is a lilac cloud of smoke drifting closer to me from the kitchen table. My eyes water and I start to itch uncontrollably.

"FRED! GEORGE!!! What's going on?!" I scream but end up drawing in more gas. The room is starting to spin. What's happening? My head feels light. I'm going to float awaaaaayyyyyyyy…..

"Katie!" A pair of arms catches me as I'm about to fall. "Here, swallow this." Some kind of pill is slipped into my mouth so I force myself to comply while trying to scratch my arms.

And nearly instantly everything is fine again. Of course there's still purple smoke consuming the twins' flat but I'm comfortable. Fred comes into focus right in front of me. He stands me upright again and once confident that I would be able to stay up, lets go.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!" I scream.

He looks away sheepishly. "Sorry Katie Pie. Didn't know you would be popping up today."

"It's done!" George shouts from the table. Instantly, Fred grins and rushes to his brother's side. I follow cautiously. "Katie! So glad you could be here. We've just completed our absolutely _brilliant_ new product. Sudden Swaddling Smoke. Terribly sorry, but you were the very first victim."

I glare daggers at them. Here I am, depressed over a swine that cheated on me for Merlin knows how long, and I get to be their test subject!

"You see, anyone who swallows the antidote pill will be immune." Fred continues without noticing my anger. "But the victim will be blinded by burning smoke, obtain the chicken pox, and smell the most rancid air ever concieveable! It's made for specific use on the biggest gits in the world! Of course, since we can't actually kill anyone, it all wears off after 5 minutes or so." The twins grin and pat each other on the back.

It's pointless to yell at them. It is my fault for apparating here unexpectedly, after all. And this is their job. Can you blame them?

"So what brings you to our lovely home? What happened last night?" George questions. The look in his eyes tells me that he already knows exactly how it went.

All I can do is move over to the couch. I plop down and let them figure last night's outcome. They seat themselves on either side of me within seconds and before I know it, I'm enveloped in a choking hug. Well- two choking hugs. At the same time. With eerily identical force. I try to wriggle myself free. "Well, I mean- you knew it would happen, right?"

"What happened?"

I explain the nights events. An anger like no other boils inside of me. "That cheating, good-for-nothing pig! I mean, I was faithful! I didn't tell him I'm a witch but that's only cause I was scared! It's not like I was off having other men leave hickeys all over me! It's not like I was saying 'I love you' moments before having sexual relations with another slut!" I rant for nearly five minutes when they finally stop me.

"He's a git Katie. A bloody, good-for-nothing git."

"That doesn't begin to describe the swine that he is!!!"

George continues gently. "So maybe since we were right the first time, perhaps you can lean from it and believe us now, eh? He's not worth this. Sure, he was a big mistake, but that's all he's ever going to be. Don't let him ruin your happiness anymore. You're free of a burden that you should have never even had to bear. Alright? So trust me this time- the sooner you let him go, the sooner he's going to leave your life."

It's exactly the opposite of what I expected him to say. I thought he would shout 'I told you so' to the world. But George is actually being considerate and that alone makes me feel better. "You're right."

"So what are we going to do, Katie Pie?" Fred questions as he puts an arm around my shoulders comfortingly.

"Eat a tub of ice cream and watch movies?"

"First off, we need three tubs of ice cream because I'm a slob and you will refuse to share with me. And I refuse to share with George because he likes eating with no spoon. Of course, you can share with him if you wish- in which case we will only be needing two tubs of ice cream. This is a problem either way, as we lack any tubs of ice cream to begin with. Second- I don't know what the bloody hell a moovee is. And finally, we have business to attend to."

"Don't you need a break, though? You just finished your new thingy-ma-poo." Somehow they always manage to make me feel so much better and always nearly effortlessly.

"Do you recall what we did to Thomas back in Hogwarts? I think Harold has to learn not to mess with our Katie Pie."

Well, if I wasn't better before, I'm beaming now. "Really?"

They grin maniacally. Well this should be good. Hehe..

* * *

The plan is simple. We wait until Harold Dearest goes for his lunch break at work. We put the Sudden Swaddling Smoke bombs in Harold's beautiful and rather expensive Aston Martin. Since the bombs can be activated by the flick of a wand, it's flawless. 

We set everything up and take some gag disguise pills. Such a simple trick can make a person completely unrecognizable. Right now we're just waiting for noon. Two more minutes until that wretch gets what he deserves. I must admit- I'm just bubbling with excitement. The twins would normally be itching to prank anyone and everyone on the streets because "muggles are clueless bafoons", apparently. However, their attention is undivided.

Right as the hotel's huge bell tower strikes noon, Harold struts out. With a woman. Are they…. holding hands?

Oh. Hell. No!

Without hesitation, I walk up to him. Apparently he doesn't recognize me- the twin's pranks really do the job. "Aww, aren't you two the cutest couple!" I fake in a cheery voice.

"I know," the woman says as if she's the only important thing in the world.

Forcing myself to refrain from killing her, I continue. "How adorable. How long have you been together?"

"Six months. Now get out of our way. We have…. plans…."

Immediately understanding their intention, I draw up my hand and slap her as hard as I can manage. I hear Fred and George "oooo" from behind me as my hand connects with her face. A slight echo can be heard.

I suppose my disguise chose that moment to start fading, because Harold yelled out my name. "How dare you!"

"Harold, you're a git." One swift knee to the private area had him on the ground groaning in pain.

His girlfriend rushed to his side and cursed at me.

"Don't make me angry." I say as I walk away.

A few moments later, they hobble over to Harold's car. Once inside, the twins gladly initiate the bombs. In a flash, the entire car is turned purple. Promptly five minutes later, after the fumes had done their deed, the doors opened hastily. Out stepped two very, VERY angry, chicken pox-ridden, lilac-skinned people. Needless to say, Harold's beloved car is permanently ruined.

I think we're even now.

* * *

I apparate back to my flat and decide to make some tea. I like to heat it the muggle way. It just reminds me of when I was a little kid. Oh… what is that…. A small waft of foul odor…. Oh my- 

Through all the distress and excitement at the twins' flat, I guess I didn't realize exactly how putrid their place was. I look down at myself and discover that my butt is covered what looks like a mix between dust and mold. Oh no… I sat on the couch! That nasty, filthy couch!! I turn down the heat on the stove all the way and rush to the bathroom. I NEED a shower. NOW.

After I had been standing in the shower for nearly 15 minutes, just letting the warm water wash over me, I turn the faucet. It made me feel better.

I step out, dry myself off as best I could at the moment, and wrap my towel around me.

My teapot whistles, bringing back my attention to the boiling water. Still dripping, I rush out and scream in panic and surprise. Apparently Oliver let himself in because he is standing in my kitchen, charming the tea pot to float off the stove. Hearing my scream, he turns and freezes. His wand is still pointed at the hovering tea pot, his jaw is half dropped and he's just staring at me. What's wrong with him?

It took me a few seconds to realize why he was frozen in place. My face flared up in a bright shade of red as I turned and ran back to my room. Of course, it couldn't be that easy for me. Forgetting that I was dripping on the way out, I didn't realize that the floor was wet. I just _had _to be running at that moment and you can guess what the result is. I fly into the air and fall right on my back side. Now, Oliver, being the nice friend that he is, decides that he needs to help me. He turns the corner, not realizing that when I fell, the towel moved and as a result, wasn't exactly covering everything.

"I'M SO SORRY!!!" I hear him cry from behind me. He runs back the other way without hesitation.

Crimson by this point and aching all over, I get up and lock my door behind me. There's no way I'm going back out there. Oh, this is just freaking great! GREAT! My ex-Quidditch captain and one of my closest friends just practically saw me naked!! I pull some clothes on and let myself fall onto my bed. What's better is that I don't even know what part of me was covered and what wasn't. I've never been exposed before! As the realization dawns on me, I groan. Not even my boyfriends have seen that much of me!

I don't know what to do. I can't just tell him to get out. Why was he even here?! You don't just go into someone's house without them knowing! But I'm not going to hide here all night either. After a few more moments of mental preparation, I hesitantly open the door.

I feel the blush grow hotter as I near the end of my hallway. A peek around the corner shows me that he is still here. Why me? Just… why?

Oliver is sitting at the end of the kitchen table. He is gripping his hair tightly with both hands, elbows resting on the table. My favorite tea cup is filled with the hot water and a teabag. The sugar bowl is sitting next to it. Around both is a medium-sized puddle and a sponge laying a meter away. My guess is that he wasn't exactly focusing on pouring the water and ended up pouring more than what can fit. Then half-way through sponging it up, he got frustrated and gave up.

Fighting the wave of nervousness that just washed over me, I walk shakily to the table and sit opposite from him. Neither of us look at each other. He stares at the table and I stare at my tea.

Ten minutes pass in the most awkward silence of my life.

"Oliver?" My voice is shaky.

"Yes, Katie?" He nearly squeaks my name.

"Why are you here?"

"I told you yesterday that I would repay you by taking you out for dinner. I specifically said that I would not accept excuses."

"So you decided to let yourself in?"

"I'm impatient," he explains meekly.

"Oliver- I'm sorry. I really am. But I'm staying here tonight. I've had quite enough excitement for one weekend."

"This night is dedicated to you." Well that's kind of sweet. It makes me sick. I don't need this now.

"Oliveeerrrrr……." I groan as I move onto my recliner. He follows behind me at a distance and takes a seat on the couch farthest from me. "Please? I'll take a rain check, alright? I'm not exactly comfortable right now, if you know what I mean."

"Look. I am SO sorry, Katie. I really bloody am. I apologize from the deepest reaches of my-" he falters as he notices something and turns to look at it. "-heart." He finishes. He looks back in my direction, trying to be sincere but not yet able to look at me directly. "I really just wasn't thinking. I wanted to get the tea for you so you wouldn't burn the place down. I had no idea you would come running out in nothing but a towel!" His face is bright red once more.

I say nothing. What can I say?

In the silence, he looks back at whatever caught his attention the first time. "I'm sorry. I don't want this to ruin our friendship….. Wha-" He gets up and cautiously moves past me. Dumbfounded, I turn to follow his movements with my eyes. "Katie, what is this? I didn't notice last time I was here." He gently prods the television's glass screen. Incredulous, all I can do is stare at him.

"That's a muggle television. Didn't you pay attention in Muggle Studies?"

"Of course I did!" He claims indignantly. "I paid attention to creating new Quidditch plays!" He pauses for a second, "What does it do?"

I try not to laugh. He just looks so much like a clueless five-year-old sometimes and it's adorable. It really is. Somehow he just manages to melt the awkwardness by simply noticing a television. Who else in the world could do that besides Oliver Wood? "Let's stay here," I say, momentarily forgetting my previous embarrassment. "You're going to watch tv."

A look of fear flashes across his eyes. "What's that?"

I can't help it. A string of giggles escapes me. He's just too cute when he has no idea what's going on. "Sit down!" I finally manage to say. "Are you hungry? I'll make some popcorn and we can find a movie."

Hesitantly, he sits down and waits patiently, albeit a bit nervously. I rush back over with some water, two cans of muggle soda, and a bowl of freshly popped popcorn. With the remote in hand, I sit next to him. "Are you ready?" I ask, making my voice sound doubtful.

"Why? What's going to happen?" He tries to hide the trepidation in his tone but fails.

"Well, this special wand here," I hold up the remote, "will make monsters appear in that box. If you don't hex them into oblivion right away, they'll start attacking us." By now I'm nearly dying of laughter inside but I somehow manage to hold my composure.

"Why in the name of Merlin's beard would you want to do this?! I thought muggles didn't know magic! How can they fight it? Why do you have this thing? Katie! Answer me- No! Don't wave it like that! Katie!" He rips the remote out of my hand and drops it on the floor as if it burned him. "Are you mad!?"

A fit of uncontrollable laughter overcomes me. "I'm kidding! I'm sorry- I needed something to cheer me up and this was perfect! You owe me BIG time after that, anyway!" He looks hurt. "I'm sorry." I reach down for the remote and adjust myself back on the couch. "Now don't worry. It's just going to have pictures moving very quickly. There are no monsters so put down your wand! Don't think I can't see it."

"Are you sure about this, Katie?" he lowers his wand hesitantly.

Without answering, I push the power button. The sound of lions roaring poured out of the speakers and instantly an Animal Planet special- The Savannah- emerged from the darkness. Oliver jumps, slightly surprised, but tries to cover it up by scratching his arm. I giggle and he looks at me. "Are you sure they're not going to jump out of the box?" He freezes as the lion on tv looks straight at the camera. Of course, Oliver thinks the lion heard him and is getting ready to pounce on him. "Make it go away!" He starts panicking.

I change the channel and an old American western movie bangs loudly at us.

"Katie!"

"Sorry." I quickly lower the volume and change the channel again. The next channel has a comedian on it.

"You know, sometimes the funniest jokes are the simplest ones. Where do you find a no-legged dog? Anyone?" The crowd is has no idea. I look at Oliver and he's trying to think. "Right where you left it!" The crowd bursts into laughter. Oliver does too. I'm horrified.

Oliver sees my mouth wide open. "As bad as it is, it's kind of funny, eh?" I guess he forgot his fear of the 'magical box'.

"NO! It's horrible!"

"Or how about this-" the comedian begins after the crowd calms down. "Why did the koala fall out of the tree?" He pauses for effect. "Because it was dead!"

Again Oliver and the audience roar with laughter. "OLIVER! That's not funny!" When he keeps laughing, I change the channel.

"Hey! He was funny!"

"There's better things on here than making cruel jokes about animals!"

The next station featured a rather happy chef. He was in the process of cutting up asparagus. In the meanwhile, he explained how certain techniques enhanced the flavor and how the texture had to be perfect.

Oliver looked at me. "So you pick this over the comedian? I hate asparagus!"

"Alright, how about this?" I push the button for the next channel. Instantly, the clashing of swords explodes from the tv. Two samurai are engaged in a heated battle to the death. They're sweating profusely but refuse to show weakness. Oliver slightly leans forward without noticing. I hold in a giggle. He's captivated.

"Why are they fighting?"

"I don't know. I've never seen this movie."

"I like it."

"I can tell," I smile at him.

Finally, the taller of the two samurai manages to knock the other to the ground. The second samurai is at the mercy of the first. Oliver holds his breath expectantly.

Then, without notice, the movie fades and is replaced by a commercial for Pizza Hut. Oliver looks at me with a pained look in his eyes. "Katie…" he whines. "What is this!? He was just about to kill the bad bloke and it just stops! I don't want to know what the most affordable… peets-a thing is!" He looks helpless.

"It's called a commercial, Oliver. They interrupt everything on tv, so you have to get used to it. There's nothing we can do."

"The fight is going to come back, right?"

"Yes, it will come back."

A few seconds pass.

"How much longer?"

"It's going to take a minute or two."

Now that I have time to think about it, I'm relieved that he decided to come over. Of course, the "incident" could have been avoided, but he's making me laugh and smile without even trying. Actually, he always manages to make me happy. I just feel so comfortable around him and I can always be myself. He knows pretty much everything about me and I grew up with him so it's hard to have a closer friend.

Oliver's fidgeting next to me brings me out of my thoughts. Apparently the movie is back on. He's absolutely absorbed. Maybe I should have told him about this years ago.

Around an hour later the movie ends. He was on the edge of his seat the entire time so he finally leans back and relaxes. "So," I start. "Do you like television now?"

"I must admit, muggles do have some great things."

I nod. "How was your Quidditch practice yesterday?"

"I've had better. I was still a bit dizzy from Friday night so my team got three goals on me. They kept making fun of me. Other than that, we pretty much practice like we did at Hogwarts. You know how it is."

"Yeah. I know. Waking up before sunrise then flying laps and passing the quaffle for hours. It was great, Oliver. Really." My tone is sarcastic.

"It wasn't that bad!"

I give him a look. "Well apparently you like working your butt off because you still insist on sticking with it so much."

"Yeah… I need to work on that." He scratches his head and looks at the photos resting near the fireplace as he speaks. "I just don't know what to do, ya know? Here I am, living my dream but it interferes too much with my personal life. I can't just give it up but I also don't want to keep losing friends and girlfriends because of it."

"You've been playing since you were a kid, right? So why do you need to practice 5 days a week? I think it might be ok if you cut back a little bit."

"I s'pose." His eyes keep moving back and forth between two pictures. One is of Harold and I on our first date. We're walking barefoot on the beach, hand in hand. We both have large goofy hats so all you could see of our faces are two grins.

The other picture is of Oliver. He's behind me with his arms wrapped around my shoulders- we had just won the House Cup. We're dirty and our hair is astray but I have never seen Oliver look so incredibly happy. I'm waving at the camera and he keeps screaming something out to the world. Since he kept proclaiming "GRYFINDOR!!!" right next to my ear several times, I remember it rather well.

"How was your date?" He asks casually. I'm pretty sure he already knows the answer. The look on my face is clear enough. I try to keep myself from feeling upset again.

I take my wand from the coffee table and point it at the picture of me and Harold. It rips itself into shreds and the pieces neatly float into the fireplace. A good enough explanation, I assume.

He sighs. I know he's itching to say 'I told you so' but he's kind enough to refrain. "What happened?"

He's giving me his undivided attention now. It makes me feel important but at the same time, I feel so small when I get lost in those eyes of his. "He had hickeys all over his chest."

"I'm sorry, Katie."

"Yeah, well- don't be. You warned me, after all, didn't you? And so did Fred and George. And Alicia and Angelina. And everyone in the world, while I'm at it, right?"

"But you knew it wasn't going to work out in the end, right? From the beginning you knew he wasn't the one," he says gently.

"I guess. I mean, I loved him and trusted him. But we never saw each other and it would have ended sooner or later."

"That and you never told him about what you are. Maybe you didn't trust him after all." His eyes are so deep… It's hard to feel upset when I feel like I'm swimming in warmth. Harold's eyes never made me feel like this.

Most people can't let go of someone so quickly but I think I'm ready to forget about him. Oliver's right- it just wasn't there. I thought I trusted him but clearly I didn't. We were going no where. I think it was just the idea of having someone there for me to talk to every day was the part I liked. Maybe I was in love with the idea of being with someone. Not Harold himself. And realizing that makes it so much easier to push him away.

"You're right. I'm going to be fine, Oliver." I smile slightly to make him worry less. If he's going to be here with me through it all, I feel like I can do anything. "Wait until I tell you about what the twins did to him!"

"Are you up to getting some dinner now? You can tell me the whole story over a nice meal."

"Deal." I smile at him. Dinner does sound pretty good. It's been a loooooooonnnnnnggg day…

* * *

Well? How was it? LET ME KNOW!!!! 

Also, this is as far as I have gotten. I normally jump ahead and write some things but this is the end of the line. It seems it will take quite a while for the next chapter, seeing as I don't keep something I don't like. If it's not up to my standards, I stop and get writer's block.That's not good for anyone, now is it? That is, unless help me with some ideas. How should dinner go? Do you want them to fall in love right away? Should I draw it out? Is that a vacation I see in the near future? Only you can decide!!

I'm such a dork. :) And I'm proud.


	8. Prancing Oliver

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

I'm back! Wow.. this chapter was difficult to write. I kept writing and then changing my mind. I would like to thank my LOVELY reviewers for cheering me on and encouraging me: lozzie84, siriuslyblairrr, danceislife, aznprincesswarrior, actionsspeaklouderthanwords, and the voice of singing clouds.

I tried something unusual so I hope it's not too strange for you guys. Please tell me what you think!

Oh... and towards the end, the POV changes to Oliver. I'm just going to say this now so no one is confused and I don't have to interrupt the story. Enjoy!!

* * *

We decided to go to the Three Broomsticks again. What can I say? It has great food and I just love the feeling I get when I'm there. I feel like I'm back in Hogwarts and it makes me bubble inside. 

"So tell me what happened to the git," Oliver says after we sit in an empty booth.

I explain the plan we had originally. "Well when he finally came out, he had another tramp hanging off his arm! It was disgusting. I forgot all about the plan and went up to them. She said they had been dating for the past 6 months! I wanted to slap her, so I did."

"What did you do to the git?"

"Kneed him."

Oliver looks hurt but nods, "Brilliant."

"Low or not- he deserved it. Anyway, so then they went to his prized car and the twins made the bombs go off. They came out purple and were itching like a hundred mosquitoes had bitten them. It was beautiful," I sigh contentedly.

Oliver laughs. "Are you serious? Those things actually work?! Smashing!"

We both grin. "Those bombs will fly off the shelves. Who knew the twins would be rich through causing pain and suffering?"

"It's hard to believe," Oliver agrees. "But it's impossible seeing them at a regular job, eh?"

"All of you have unusual jobs, though. How many people in the world have their own advice column in the most popular magazine in the country? Or how many people are tour managers for the most popular band in half the wizarding world?"

Oliver clears his throat.

"Well?"

"Aren't you missing someone?"

"Hmm…." I ponder. "Nope. There's Fred. George. Alica. Angelina. Me." I tick everyone off on my fingers.

He clears his throat even more obviously.

"Uh…. Well of course there's Harry. He could get a job anywhere! The most famous wizard in the world can do anything he pleases. And to think you used to yell at him every bloody day of the year over Quidditch!"

"Alright, well if you're going to be a prick, Katie, I'll just leave." He makes a motion to get up but I grab his arm. He turns and the way he looks at me makes me want to melt. His eyes are so gorgeous. How that whore could have cheated on him is a mystery. If I had a guy like him I'd never let him go! "What are you staring at," he asks with a little chuckle.

A blush creeps onto my cheeks. "I wasn't staring! Why do you have to be so dramatic, anyway? You're the one that wanted to take me out."

"You started it and I fight fire with fire, my dear Katie Pie."

"Katie Pie? Only the twins call me that."

"Well why can't I?"

"I dunno…it's just weird."

"Well get used to it."

"'My dear'?"

"Huh?"

"You said 'my dear'."

"No I didn't."

I give him a look but decide to drop it. He lets out a breath that he thinks I don't hear. What's up with him?

"Shall we order, then?"

"Now that you mention it, I'm starving!" I rub my tummy for emphasis. Oliver smiles at me as menus float down to our table.

You know, I think I'll try something new. I've never had the baked potato soup here. With a little salad, it sounds smashing. I circle the items on the menu and it disappears from my hands.

"So how is your 'unusual job'?"

"Unusual." He replies simply.

I roll my eyes.

"What? It really is! They want me to go on vacation!" He sounds disgusted.

"Why would they want that?"

"I dunno… they say I'm becoming too famous too quickly. AND they're complaining that I want to practice so much! Why they don't want to practice everyday for only 9 hours is beyond me!"

"Well, duh, Oliver! They have_ lives_ to live! They have other things besides Quidditch. And besides, you could probably use a vacation anyway. When is the last time you've had a few days off?"

"About 3 months ago."

"See! You're driving them mad! Back in Hogwarts we wanted to kill you! Thank Merlin we had McGonagall on our side or you would have never let us even sleep!"

He looks distressed. "But Katie, I have no idea what to do. They're sending me away for two weeks! They say if I even show up for their practice, they'll kick me off the team! Two weeks. What am I going to do for two weeks?"

"Go somewhere. Maybe you can actually GO on vacation like you're supposed to. I'm sure you have enough money to go sightseeing or something like that," I suggest.

"Where?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Where do YOU want to go?"

"Oliver! You're the one going!"

"Well, maybe I don't know where I want to go."

"You're kidding, right?" His look says 'apparently not'. I bury my face in my hands. "How could you not have even thought of a vacation? How could you not think 'Hey! I want to go 'there' some day!'?"

"I just haven't. Where is a good place to go? Where do you dream of going?"

My eyes light up. My dream vacation? I've have it planned out for years! "I've always wanted to go to Greece. There are these muggle cruise ships that go for as long as you want. There's so much to do and it's all romantic and gorgeous and... " I sigh. "And have you seen pictures of Greece? It looks amazing!"

He looks confused. "Cruise ship?"

"It's a huge ship," I spread my arms as wide as I can, "that carries thousands of people to great vacation spots."

He wrinkles his nose. "But that would be crowded. And boring. What is there to do on a ship? For something so big, the passengers would have to help sail it. There would have to be hundreds of people just controlling it. I mean a VACATION, Katie! Not more work!"

Is he serious? Is he….? "Oliver… no. Just- no." I guess sometimes I forget just how different the wizarding and muggle worlds are. "It's driven by machines and engines. Muggle electronics. It's not a sailboat. Sure, there's people that have to drive it or whatnot, but not the passengers. The passengers have fun. There are a bunch of restaurants, clubs, dance floors, casinos, shows, pools, games, theaters, movies- everything!"

Oliver looks confused. "For one thing, that would have to be a really big ship-" I smack head. "-what?"

"It IS really big!"

He's quiet for a few moments. Then unexpectedly, "That's bloody brilliant!" A huge grin lights his face. "We could go on a muggle cruise! We could dance and have fun and laugh and eat and swim and go to Greece and sightsee and-" he starts muttering to himself.

All I can do is stare. "We? Who is we? Who are you taking?"

"Katie, this is BRILLIANT!" he exclaims happily.

"Who is we?" I repeat. Is he still thinking of that girl… Lisa? Is that her name? Please tell me he is not still infatuated with her!

Our food floats down out of nowhere again.

"Eat up, Katie Pie!" I don't think I've ever seen him so delighted.

"But Oliver-"

"Brilliant." He mutters to himself again. Finally satisfied with whatever he finds so brilliant, he grabs a fork and digs into his meal.

Honestly, this man absolutely _baffles_ me sometimes. He really does.

The rest of our meal consisted of him grinning and mumbling to himself and me just staring at him confused.

He pays the bill and we begin to weave through people, trying to find the exit. Suddenly, Fred smashes into me.

"Oh! Katie Pie! What a surprise! Fancy meeting you here!" He exclaims.

I take a few deep breaths. He actually knocked the wind out of me. Like.. it's hard to breathe..

Noticing my trouble breathing, he holds up a half-empty mug. "Here. Drink this. It will help. Sorry about that."

Without thinking, I take the mug and drink. "Wait," my eyes widen in realization and I try to spit out whatever is in my mouth. "How is this going to help me catch my breath?"

"Oliver, mate! How are you tonight?"

"Fred!" I cry. What was in that?! A bitter taste lingers in my mouth. That wasn't butterbeer!

"What are you doing here, Fred?" Oliver questions.

"Well, I was just on my way in, actually. George is going to meet me in a bit. I'm going to save a table for us. Business meeting, ya know? Well, I'm off! Bye Katie! Bye Oliver!" With that he runs off to the back.

"Come on, Katie," Oliver says and pulls my arm to keep me from chasing after Fred. He drags me outside and finally lets me go.

"Why?! Oliver! He slipped something into that drink!"

"Why would he do that, Katie? It's Fred! Remember the promise they made to us right after Hogwarts? They promised they wouldn't do anything to us unless it would benefit us. Right?"

"Well they could have forgotten!"

"They are amazingly good at remembering things like that."

"Well why would drinking help me catch my breath?"

"I don't know, Katie. But I do know he wouldn't try to do anything to you. They know better, whether they remember the promise or not."

"Oliver! He's been in there for a while! He had a mug that was half empty! They've been there the whole time!" I would suspect Oliver of being in on some kind of trick if it weren't for the fact that I suggested to come here in the first place.

"That's ridiculous." He retorted, but started to sound unsure. "They would have come and sat with us."

"Well if anything happens to me, I'll bloody kill them and they know it."

"If they did anything to you, I will kill them myself. Deal?"

I nod.

"Good. Now we should be heading back to your place, eh?" He glances at a clock tower nearby. It's already nearly 11. I know you have to go to work early in the morning and I have practice at 8."

I gasp. "I completely forgot about work! I was just getting used to having time off! Ugh…"

"Come on, Katie Pie," he smiles and leads me to my flat.

Once at the door, I thank him for everything.

"Don't mention it. When am I going to get to see my bestest friend in the whole wide world again?" he cries.

"Uh…" What is wrong with him? He just shrieked like Angelina and Alicia.

"What? I can't be your bestest friend?"

"Oliver-"

"No!" he cuts me off. "I understand. It's alright, Katie. BYE!" He says dramatically.

"Oliver! You are so weird! But of course I want you to be my 'bestest' friend."

"Good. So from now on we will see each other every other night."

Well he sure is enthusiastic. "Deal. Good night, Oliver."

With a charming smile he bid me good night and heads back to the elevator.

* * *

Frequent glances at the clock in Madame Farley's occupy my entire Tuesday evening. 

Oh, thank Merlin. It's finally time to close. I rush around the small restaurant to make sure everything is clean and in order.

"You checked to make sure everything was clean four times now!" Madame Farley laughed. "Go home, dear. Thank you so much for staying today."

"You're welcome, Madame." I sniffle. Oh… did I mention I'm sick? Yeah. Sick as in coughing, aching, and congestion. I haven't been sick for over a year! I suppose it's karma just getting me back. Although, in the back of my mind, I can't help but suspect the twins have some part in this….

"You know what? Just take tomorrow off. You need rest."

"What?" I ask, caught off guard. "Oh, that's not necessary. I'll be fine. I just need to go get some ingredients for a potion. I'll be much better after that. Really."

"Rest is the best medicine," she says matter-of-factly.

"Well, even if the potion doesn't work well enough, I can still charm myself to not sneeze or cough in front of customers like I did all day," I defend myself. Actually I really do want tomorrow off but she already gave me freed my weekends. I don't want to seem like I'm starting to take advantage of her or anything.

"I will see you on Thursday, Katherine." Her tone isn't rude or mean but its clear the discussion is over.

"Thank you, Madame. Good night." I hurry out the door and unexpectedly crash into someone. I'm half way to the ground when a pair of strong arms catches me.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I cry. "I'm- Oliver?"

With an enchanting smile, "No. I am Oliver. You're not very balanced, lately, are you?"

Madame Farley walks outside, keys in hand, ready to lock up. She chuckles. "What did I tell you, Katherine? Just a little time off and you've already found a charming lad. Ah, young love," she sighs happily and locks the door.

"Wha-" I realize Oliver is holding me by my waist in a way that could very easily be considered romantic. I jump out of his hold and try to explain. "No! It's not what it looks like!"

All she does is shake her head and ignore me. "To think that all this time you could have been with this lad. Oh, how delightful this is! You look familiar. Tell me- have we met before?"

Very likely with the sole intention of embarrassing me more, Oliver takes her hand and kisses it. "Lovely to meet you, Madame. My name is Oliver Wood."

"Oh! And he's famous!" she cries. "Katherine, you have all of next week off. Letting this lad go will be no fault of mine!" she smiles at me and begins to mumble how excited she is that her granddaughter can finally start to help her out around the restaurant now. She turns on her heel and heads home.

"WHAT?! NO! Madame! We're not together!!"

No response.

I groan. "OLIVER! What in Merlin's name is wrong with you?!"

"I was simply being polite, _Katherine_."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

He grins. This guy just loves making meangry, doesn't he?

"Sorry, Katie Pie."

"What are you doing here?" I snap. Now I really am upset. I can get used to having weekends off but a whole week? Come on! I have bills to pay! This is ridiculous!

"As I recall, it has been two days since I have last seen you. Because of the promise we made on Sunday night, we are due to see each other."

"Well not tonight." What am I going to do for a whole week?

"Are you suggesting that promise meant nothing, Katherine?"

See! He wants to make me angry! Merlin, I'll kill him! "I'm _sick, _Oliver. I would like to go home, make a wellness potion and sleep. Is that alright with you?" There is obvious anger in my tone.

"Sick?" He asks, all previous humor gone. "How did you get sick?"

"I don't know! Just this morning I started getting congested and by the time the lunch rush came I was a mess. I didn't do anything differently- nothing that could get me sick."

"That's weird."

Way to state the obvious. "I blame whatever Fred made me drink."

"Are you serious, Katie? That was two days ago. If there was something in it, it would have reacted then."

A violent coughing fit comes out of nowhere and shakes my entire body. Oliver immediately grabs my arm and rubs my back gently. "Are you ok? Come on, let's go to my flat. I have some things that may help you." He gingerly leads me to a less crowded spot so we can apparate. Why am I nervous? I mean, sure- I've never been to Oliver's flat but why should that make me nervous?

"Just hold my hand tightly so we don't splinch." He wraps his arm around my shoulders for extra protection, takes out his wand, and we disappear with a 'pop'.

We apparate to a surprisingly normal looking flat. There's nothing significant that shows that he's a rich and famous Quidditch player. Well… except for a wall solely dedicated to more brooms than I've ever seen in one place. Other than that, nothing sticks out. From someone surely making at least twice the amount of money I do, he would have a bigger place or at least have this one lavishly decorated or something. But really, it's normal. "So… why don't you live in a mansion if you make trillions of galleons every week?"

He smiles lightly, "For one thing, I don't make trillions of galleons a week. And why would I waste my money on a place where I barely stay? I'd rather save it for something more important."

"Well, at least it's clean here. The twins' place is horrendously filthy."

"It's not like I'm here long enough to get it dirty."

"Well it's still amaz-" Without warning, I sneeze. "Ugh! What's wrong with me?"

"Let's get you that medicine." His arm falls off my shoulders as he walks away. Has is been there the whole time? How could I have not even noticed? Why is my heart fluttering? Wait…. why did he keep it there in the first place?

"Are you coming? I thought you were sick," his call interrupts my thoughts.

Yeah… I'm coming. I follow him to his kitchen where Oliver is looking through his cupboards. "Where is it…." He mutters quietly.

"Do you need me to help? What are you look-"

"GOT IT!" he pulls out a box and places it on the counter and opens it. A rather large collection of medicines and medical supplies are strewn throughout the box. "I get hurt in Quidditch sometimes. I'm not familiar with a lot of healing spells so I just use this stuff," he explains as he pushes things back and forth to find something. "Here!" he almost dramatically pulls out a much smaller box and pours its contents into his hand. He selects a bright orange pill and hands it to me with a glass of water.

"What is it?"

"Just swallow it."

"But what is it?" No answer. "Oliver! I'm not going to take this if you don't tell me what it is."

"It's a pill."

I couldn't tell on my own, Sherlock. "Really?"

"Well, see- you're sick, right? So we came here and I looked for medicine and I gave you this. What could it be besides something that will make you better?"

I glare but decide to trust him. He is my friend, after all. Isn't he? Besides, I could always just murder him later if it comes to it. With a swig of water, I swallow the pill and place the cup on the counter.

"It is kind of strong, though," he mentions as an afterthought.

Right on cue, I begin to feel dizzy. I want to scream at him but restrain myself in fear that it will make me more nauseous. Apparently he notices the symptoms and grabs my arm securely and leads me to a couch.

"Are you alright?"

"Oliver," I say calmly but anger is evident in my tone. "What was that pill for?"

"It's for congestion and aches! I swear!" He panics.

A wave of sleepiness washes over me. "Then why am I so tired all of a sudden?"

"You should get some rest?" he offers meekly.

My eyelids are getting heavy. No. Don't give in. I don't want to fall asleep yet. I don't…..

* * *

Bloody hell. What just happened? What's wrong? Why did she just pass out? I know that orange is for congestion! Needing to confirm it, I get up and rush to the box. 

Red- Pain.

Green- Nausea.

Blue- Drowsiness.

Orange- Congestion.

SEE! So why did she fall asleep? It should have taken a minute to kick in and then she should have been completely better!

_DING-DONG!_

What the-

I drop the box and run to look out the peephole in my door. Two figures wave at me. I fling the door open. "Oliver! Have you seen Katie?" George asks quickly.

"Why?"

"Well see, here's the thing. Remember when Fred ran into her on Sunday night? Well that drink wasn't just butterbeer."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" I roar. No one hurts Katie. No one. She hasn't seen Harold since they turned him purple. The twins had to help me hunt him down. Since then he just might have obtained a few extra bruises from a particularly pissed off Scot.

The twins look intimidated by my outburst. "Well, mate, it was supposed to make her 'sick'," he said with air quotes. "But wait before you beat us!" He cries as I begin to raise a fist. "It's an illusion. She just thinks she's sick."

Fred explains, "It's like the illusions we place in our shop at night. It's not real. Sure, she'll cough and sneeze and whatnot but it's all in her head."

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Are they mental?

"Well, we knew she was upset over her dear Harold and you're trying to woo her. She's not one to get over gits easily so we figured you would need our help, mate."

"So you drugged her?" I don't believe this! And I don't need their help to woo Katie!

"Just listen!" George says quickly. "The plan was to get her to think she's sick and then you can prance in and be her knight in shining armor and nurse her back to health."

"But she's not really sick," Fred assures me again. "It'll go away in about 24 hours. That gives you plenty of time to make it look like you helped her get better... and women always fall for that kind of stuff."

"First off, I don't need your help. Second, I don't 'prance'. Third, you're a pair of idiots if you ever thought something so stupid would work."

"We, sir, are visionaries. And it would work if we could find her. We've been looking for her for the past half hour but she's not at her flat or at the Three Broomsticks. No one at the Potions shop has seen her and you're the only other person that could know where she is."

I grudgingly open the door wider, motion for them to come in, and close it once they step inside.

"Blimey! She's out cold!" Fred exclaims as he realizes their prey is motionless on my couch.

"Don't tell me you gave her medicine, mate." George looks at me, panicking.

"Of course I bloody gave her medicine! What else am I supposed to do if someone is sick?!"

The twins slap their foreheads identically at the same time. "OLIVER!" They cry. "Of course not! You nurse her back to health!"

I can feel blood rushing to my head. "YOU GIVE SICK PEOPLE MEDICINE!"

"Why would we go so far as to get her 'sick' just so you could give her medicine and be done with it in 5 minutes? You're supposed to be romantic and hold her to keep her from getting cold. You're supposed to make her soup so she can see how thoughtful and sweet you are! You're supposed to buy her a stuffed animal that she can snuggle with when you're not there so no matter what, she's always thinking about you!"

All I can do is stare at Fred with my mouth slightly open. Is he….. is he serious? "Fred… what is wrong with you? Where did you get this stuff? Are you turning into a girl?"

"No!" he says defensively. "Dad fixed his muggle television and mum's been hooked on this muggle Soap. She's been talking about it non-stop."

"WHAT DOES SOAP HAVE TO DO WITH TELEVISION?!!"

"We don't understand either!" George exclaims. "We just know it's about these muggles that are in love and then out of love and then there's a load of drama and- who understands muggles anyway?!"

I start pacing back and forth. How we went from Katie believing she's sick to soap is completely beyond me. "So why did she pass out when I gave her medicine?" I'm trying to stay calm here.

"Well it's not exactly a good idea to mix medicine with hoaxing potions, is it, mate?"

"What am I supposed to do, Fred?" I say through gritted teeth.

They get up simultaneously. "That," Fred responds, "Is up to you." With that, they apparate out of my flat.

I restrain myself from roaring out loud in frustration. Once this is over, I will kill them. I really will.

This is bloody _wonderful_… I have the beautiful angel that I've been in love with for longer than I can remember passed out on my couch. I can't tell her that the twins really are behind her fake illness because she would find out why exactly they found it necessary to do this to her.

Did I mention that I have to distract her from finding out why any kind of medicine won't work or why it looks like I gave her a sleeping pill? Otherwise she'll go straight to the twins. And when she's mad, she gets what she wants… she'll get it out of them.

I sit down next to her. She's so beautiful. Her lips are so smooth and her hair shines radiantly no matter where she is or what she's doing. And when her eyes are open, they take my breath away- especially when they look right into mine...

What should I do?

* * *

I have some wonderful ideas for future chaps but your thoughts and ideas are always welcome! What's going to happen now?? What did Oliver find so brilliant about his vacation? What's Katie going to do with a whole week off? Will Oliver 'nurse her to health' or tell the truth? Let me know what you think!

And I am going to start writing the next chap right away so I don't take so long to update. Help me out:)


	9. Reflections

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

Thank you so much for the reviews! ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords, Fantasygirl26, AzNpRinCeSsWaRrioR, the voice of singing clouds, Stella: you're the only reason I'm updating so soon.

This one changes POVs again. Just to let you know. ENJOY!!

* * *

My neck hurts. Why is my back so sore? Ugh… I'd rather just go back to sleep than feel this miserable. Wait… this smell… I'm not at home. It smells like… Oliver? Wha-

I cautiously open my eyes. Oliver is sitting in a chair nearby with a book in hand. Oliver reads? Is it bad that this surprises me?

Just as I think this, he looks up at me. "Hey there, sleepy."

"What happened?" I groan groggily. My head hurts.

"You just passed out." He places his book on the coffee table. Quidditch Through the Ages. And here I thought it just _might_ be something worthwhile…. or intelligent.

"Oh," I suppress a yawn. "I had the weirdest dream."

"About what?"

"Well I was sick and you gave me some medicine that made me pass out. Then Fred and George came by and you were yelling about soap. Funny, huh?"

Oliver looks frightened. "Uh. Yeah. Funny. Really funny. Really."

"Are you alright?" Why is he nervous?

"FINE!" he nearly shrieks.

"Oliver?"

"Are you hungry, Katie? You haven't eaten for hours."

He's been changing the subject rather often, lately. Is there something I'm missing? "I suppose."

"Good." Oliver takes out his wand and points it at the kitchen. "Accio Soup!" A large bowl of steaming soup (chicken noodle, from the smell of it) comes floating along and hovers in front of me until I grab it. "It smells wonderful. Did you make this?"

He nods, "It was nothing. Besides, it's the best thing to eat when you're sick, right?"

I smile appreciatively and take a spoonful. Oh, just the smell is making me hungrier and hungrier! It looks spectacular.

"Just be careful, it's still-"

"OWW!!"

"Katie! Are you ok?" he leaps from his seat, takes the bowl and places it on the coffee table. "Let me see." I stick my tongue out slightly and let him examine the burn. "I can't see anything. Stick your tongue out more." I try to obey but it hurts too much. Since I am unable to comply, he leans in for a closer look. A few seconds of thorough inspection pass until he is satisfied. His eyes finally meet mine, "It looks like it'll be ok," he concludes but doesn't pull back. Our eyes just lock and neither of us seem to be able to move. Wow… his eyes really are the loveliest shade of green. I feel as if I'm just running through a grassy field with the warm sun on my face. How can someone have such amazing eyes? Finally he blinks and our trance is broken. "Why are you blushing?" he asks me with a smile.

"Huh?" But as he mentions it, I realize that it wasn't the sun warming my face… it's a blush. I look away sheepishly but as my head turns, I can't help but catch a glimpse of equally red cheeks….

He says a charm and points his wand at my mouth. The burn is instantly better. But wait- why isn't my headache gone? The charm was to make all the pain disappear. His wand was pointed at my head, so my headache should have faded, too. That's weird…

"Thank you." At least my tongue is better.

"Don't mention it, Katie Pie." Next, he charms the soup to cool down. Well that's smart… why didn't we think of that before? He offers me the bowl once more.

Cautiously, I lift another spoonful and test the soup. Perfect!

A few moments pass of me eating and Oliver staring at the photographs on his wall.

"What's your favorite one?" I question.

Without hesitation, he summons a particular picture and it floats to his waiting hand. Our old Quidditch team waves back at us enthusiastically. Fred and George circle above Oliver on their brooms, spewing red and gold streamers all over the Captain. Oliver is screaming "GRYFINDOR!" repeatedly. Angelina and Alicia are dancing like fools, but in a cute way. I'm just laughing at everyone and cheering for our victory against Slytherin. "It was the happiest day of my life. All thanks to you lot."

"Aww, are you getting sentimental?" He gives me a look. "I'm kidding. And besides- it was all thanks to you making us practice every bloody day for nearly the entire school year. Oh! And, uh- threatening to make us go through the 'Training Week of Hell' if we lost."

"Instead you guys just partied that whole week."

"Oliver, any time away from practice was a party."

"I just so happened to like it, thank you!"

"Yeah! Because you weren't the one getting screamed at over every detail and made to do laps and stuff."

"But it made us all so close, no?"

"It made US close to killing you."

"Finish your soup," he says, clearly looking pained.

What's his problem? He knows we hated practice but we were all still the best of friends. Why is he surprised? Finally after eating the last bit of noodles (I like to save them for last), I place the bowl back on the table.

"Thank you," I say, trying to get him to lighten up. "It was really good soup." As if on cue, my nose begins to tingle, making me sneeze. Oliver waves his wand and a handkerchief appears in front of me. "Thanks." My voice is nasally as I blow my nose.

With my congestion temporarily gone, I lean back on the couch and try to relax. Madame said the best medicine is getting rest. And despite my nap just a few minutes ago, I feel sleepy. Is this normal? Well, it is getting late, right? And I was working all day…

"Oliver?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me a story."

"A story? But Katie-"

"Please? It'll make me feel better."

"But…"

He looks at me and realizes I'm pouting. Mum always said I can get whatever I wanted with this face. Let's test her theory….

"Alright," he caves. "What kind of story?"

Yes! Looks like I have a new weapon. "You're the one telling it! You pick."

"Fine. There was a boy who really wanted to win a certain House Cup. He trained his team every day to-"

"OLIVER!"

"Kidding!" He puts up his hands as if to defend himself from me. It's obvious he wasn't kidding…

There's a moment of silence as he thinks.

* * *

She wants me to tell a story? I don't know any stories! But it's what my Katie Pie wants so I'll just have to make one up. Let's see- what would she like? I want to tell her how I feel…

Oi- That's it!

_**"Once upon a time, there was a boy and a girl. They grew up together and were always there for one another. Cassandra and Owen had been best friends ever since they could remember. The two were opposites in many ways- Cassandra was breathtakingly beautiful and clever and sweet, while Owen was self-absorbed and foolish. In time, Cassandra grew up to be even more gorgeous and soon had the attention of many suitors. She began to converse with these men, and even dated a few. You see, she wanted to be free of all the worries of the world. She called it 'flying' because there's nothing more free than that; and she believed that the only way to 'fly' was to find love. But no matter how charming the suitors seemed in the beginning, they all turned out to be prats. Cassandra was left heartbroken many times, eventually giving up ever being able to fly. She would have to get used to the fact that she couldn't ever be so free."**_

Katie is comfortably snuggled in a throw blanket that was decorating my couch. She looks exhausted but is still smiling at me. She probably thinks I'm a dork… but at least she's listening, right?

_**"Owen helped her through all the heartbreak. He couldn't stand to see Cassandra in pain. He realized at a young age that he was in love with this woman. Owen swore he would do anything to protect her- anything at all. But, admittedly, he was a coward. He could never build up the courage to tell his angel the feelings he had. This fact killed him so he finally swore that he would tell Cassandra."**_

Katie's eyes are starting to flutter.

_**"Owen searched for his angel the next day, finally finding her atop a hill. She explained that the view was breathtaking from here and it was her favorite place in the world. **_

_**'I thought you wanted to fly?' he asked. 'Isn't that your dream? The sky should be your favorite place, Cassandra.' **_

_**'But how will I ever fly when my heart is broken? I need freedom to reach the clouds.'" **_

Her breaths are slow and even now. She's asleep. I kneel next to her and lovingly brush some loose strands of hair from her face.

_**"'I have your freedom. I can make you an angel and give you wings so you can fly whenever you wish,' Owen whispered in her ear. He revealed a magical broom and explained that he could take her anywhere in the world. **_

_**Her eyes lit up immediately. It was her dream come true! They climbed on the broom and with a blast of wind to their faces, were soon in the clouds. Owen stopped some distance from the ground and gave her a chance to let everything sink in. **_

_**'It's even more amazing than I had ever dreamed it to be!' she cried. 'Why would you do this for me?'**_

_**Owen looked deep into her chocolate eyes. 'Because you deserve the world. I love you.'**_**"**

I gently pull the blanket over her further to make sure she doesn't catch an actual cold. "Sweet dreams, Katie Pie," I whisper. Then, taking one last look at her serene sleeping form, I head to my room to leave her in peace.

Now- I have important matters to attend to. There's a letter that needs to be written.

_Mrs. Lechmere,_

_I hope everything is well. How is Mr. Lechmere? Is it one year or two before Jonathan can finally go to Hogwarts? _

_It seems that Puddlemere United has unanimously decided that I need a vacation. I have the perfect plan this time but I need your help. The witch I fancy has always wanted to go on a muggle 'cruise' to Greece. She said it was her dream vacation so I want to surprise her. Obviously, I have no idea what that even is so I need your help. I know its short notice but could you pull some strings and get us on the next cruise? I only have the next two weeks off so there aren't many options. Let me know. Thank you!_

_Oliver Wood_

Hoping that doesn't sound arrogant or rude, I roll the parchment and give it to my small white owl, Snowflake. "Take this to Puddlemere United's travel agent. Remember Mrs. Lechmere?" Snowflake coos affirmatively. "Great. I'll have a treat for you when you get back." The owl immediately takes off.

Good. Now that that's taken care of, I can relax. Ah… my bed has never been so inviting. As I lay on my back, I can't help but think of the day's events. Fred and George really are ingenious fools. The plan would have been smashing if it weren't for the fact that sick people tend to be miserable. But I suppose that makes it a perfect opportunity for me to "prance in" (or so they called it). I'm still going to beat them for making her ill, no matter what happens between us. No one hurts Katie.

Do you think she even heard the whole story? Did she realize it was about us? I'm through being a coward. I can deal with hundreds of bludgers coming at me and all the fan girls in the wizarding community chasing me like maniacs, but I can't tell Katie I love her? It's pathetic, I know. How long has it been since I realized? Nearly three and a half years have passed.

Originally, I thought I would get over it. I thought it was just a huge crush. I thought it was wrong… I would never be the one to ruin our friendship- we grew up together! I wouldn't risk losing her just because I fancied her. I wasn't going to be the one to taint her, either. So I tried to date but it was soon obvious that no one else could put up with my Quidditch obsession. Other girls were too selfish to realize that I _need _to focus on the sport because it's my job. It's my bloody dream! I'm not going to give it up for some witch who throws herself at me that I've known for just a few months! Eventually I caught on- it wasn't going to work out. These women I was dating- not only were they too self-centered and frankly bitchy, but they were also just my way of trying to get over the unconquerable love I had for my best friend.

After all these years I still love her. Honestly, I don't know how she's still my Number One (as Fred calls it). I distanced myself from her for half of those three years just so maybe I could move on and not risk hurting her. All in vain. Even with distance between us, my feelings never changed. Does this mean she is my soul mate?

I can feel my cheeks getting warmer. See! I feel like such a kid when I'm around her or when I'm thinking about her! I feel like I'm back in Hogwarts- scared and nervous and inexperienced. I didn't feel this way around the other prats. Lisa never made me feel like a giddy fifteen-year-old. Katie is the only one I feel this way around. She's so innocent. I want to start over- forget my past with those women. I want to experience everything for the first time again. The first kiss should be magical and tender… and not lead to other things, if you know what I mean. Holding hands shouldn't feel ordinary- it should leave you with butterflies in your stomach every time. When you hug and cuddle, the rest of the world should just melt away. With them, I never had that peace of mind- I thought about Quidditch! And-

MERLIN! I'M SO BLOODY SAPPY!!!

I bury my face in my hands and take a deep breath. Yeah… I'm this way only around Katie. That has to be a sign. She's the one. I love her. I love her and there's no way around it… I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

There's a tap at my window. Snowflake has returned with a parchment securely gripped in her talons. Well that was quick. I didn't expect her back for at least another hour or two. Snowflake soars into my room as I open the window.

_Mr. Wood,_

_It's great to hear from you! Everything is fine with my family. Thank you for remembering! Jonathan is very excited about Hogwarts. He simply can't wait! He talks about being on the Quidditch team non-stop. Wants to be a keeper… "Just like Oliver Wood!" He hasn't forgotten the first time he saw Puddlemere play. He always tells me how you gave him the snitch after the game. Never mind me being right there next to him! Oh, why just the other day, he practiced for hours with his friends so he can be good enough by the time tryouts come around!_

_Wait- that's not the reason I'm writing. I just get so side-tracked! My apologies. You should be happy to know that I did manage to get you a room on a Royal Caribbean ship. It's one of the world's largest cruise lines so their experience is outstanding. Only the best for you, after all! It's my way of thanking you for making my son so happy. _

_Anyway… I could only get you one room on such short notice but I made sure that there will be two beds. You didn't specify that you were dating so I assume you're trying to woo her? Wow- she is one lucky witch! Getting to go on a cruise and you're not even dating yet! Oh, how adorable! She must be the one, Mr. Wood! Congratulations! Wait- you're not dating yet. Apologies! But I have complete faith in you. You're the most dedicated man I've ever met. And the sweetest. Of course you're going to woo her, dear! So I give my congratulations in advance! How exciting! _

_Anyway… the cruise leaves from Southampton, England this Saturday. Its 10 days long. I've attached the itinerary to this letter. I booked you as Mr. and Mrs. Everley. It's surprisingly a lot easier and cheaper to book a married couple. I used Everley because it is possible that there will be other wizards on the ship. It's a muggle surname. If they find out that Oliver Wood is onboard… well, you know what will happen. _

_I will send more information on Thursday. That will give me time to straighten things out so everything will go swimmingly! (Oh, muggles and their crazy sayings! I love them!)_

_Mrs. Lechmere_

All I can do is stare at the letter. She's a sweet woman but gets off topic so easily. Wait- she did it! She was able to put us on a cruise! BRILLIANT!! Brilliantly smashing! I'm going to give Katie the surprise of her life! I'll make her dream come true, just like in my cheesy story. And maybe I can woo her in the process. Elated, I give Snowflake twice the amount of treats she normally gets. She looks at me for a second, delighted that she could be so fortunate. Then, without hesitation, she devours her food.

This excitement made me thirsty. I need some water. On my way to the kitchen, I hear a faint whisper. I turn to the only source it could come from. That's odd- her eyes are closed but her lips are moving slightly. Is she talking in her sleep? The desire to know what she's dreaming about overcomes me and I forget I was ever thirsty. Leaning down next to her, I try to decipher what she's saying.

"I need freedom to reach the clouds…."

Huh?

"It's even more amazing than I ever dreamed it to be. Why would you do this for me?"

Realization dawns on me. She's dreaming about my story. My heart skips a beat as a mix of excitement, adoration, and protection washes over me. I whisper back, "Because you deserve the world, Katie." Then even softer, "I love you."

* * *

Short. Sappy. Cute. Dorky. Hopefully you like it. The next chapter should be longer and more humorous. At least the way I plan it... but you know that any ideas you have will help me a LOT! If you've ever been on a cruise, let me know some things you did or want them to do. It's been a few years since I've been on one so I want to get things as accurate as possible. Help me out! Please::Pouts::


	10. Best Friend Ever

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

You have NO IDEA how difficult this chapter was to write. It was done over a week ago but when I went back over it, I realized it needed _major_ adjustments. I know its not the best I can do, but this chap is as good as it's gonna get. I've seriously reread it about 30 times. Sorry if I missed any mistakes.

Anyway... I give my thanks to my LOVELY reviewers: fantasygirl26, Canadian Harry Potter Fan, ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords, AzNpRinCeSsWaRioR, Ethell, the voice of singing clouds, and lozzie84. I luv ya all!

Just so we're all clear- Oliver's "Quidditch Vacation" is just made up so he can see how important he is in Katie's eyes. In case that may confuse anyone...

Enjoy!

_

* * *

_Finally. Friday night is here. It's officially 7:01- so I now have the next 9 days off. I would be excited but what is there to do? I mean- Oliver is supposed to go on vacation and the twins still have work. Ugh. I suppose I'll just have to find something to occupy my time.

After helping Madame Farley close up, I bid her good night and apparate to my flat. I'll just relax tonight and owl the twins in the morning. I feel so much better. After spending the night at Oliver's place, I just felt a lot healthier. I have no idea what was wrong with me. Oliver was so sweet to me the whole time. He made me soup and told me a story. Then when I woke up, we came back here to my flat and watched tv. I got cold so he conjured a blanket and massaged my shoulders. It was really sweet. After that I just felt so much more relaxed. It was almost as if it was Oliver that made me feel better- not the medicine or sleeping for half the day.

I head for my kitchen to make some spaghetti when out of nowhere, I hear a distinct _POP_.

"Katie!"

Don't get me wrong- I love it when Oliver and I get to spend time together, but sometimes it's like he's stalking me.

"Yes, Oliver?" I lean against the wall and watch as he fiddles with something in his hands.

"What are you doing?" He looks as if I caught him doing something he shouldn't be.

"…making dinner?" I say as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. I haven't eaten all day and it's already 7. What else would I be doing? He looks nervous again. Why has he been like this lately?

"What are you making?" he tucks whatever he was holding in his pocket.

What was that? "I was about to make some spaghetti."

"Sounds great."

"There's only enough for me."

He looks dejected. "Oh…"

I can't help but giggle. "I'm kidding. I have loads of it! Come on- you can help me cook."

"What? But you cook the muggle way! I don't know what muggle things are!"

"Well, I'll teach you, silly."

"Not fair," he pouts.

"It's your own fault- you're the one that decided not to pay attention in Muggle Studies."

"Touché." Oliver follows me into the kitchen and looks around aghast. "What is all this stuff?!"

Deciding it would take too long to answer him, I just grab two pots and put hot water in one. "Find the spaghetti sauce."

He looks around, having no idea where it could be and cautiously approaches my pantry.

"Oh- the noodles, too."

There's a few seconds of silence and then he shouts out, "Found it!!" Oliver brings the two items with him. "Now what?"

"Alright, put the noodles in the hot water. Good- just like that. Put the pot on the stove and turn it on. I'll get the sauce- NO! Not with your wand!! Turn this knob- it makes a small fire. See? Muggles don't have magic, remember?"

We finish preparing the food and within 15 minutes, we're happily eating dinner.

"So… what did you decide to do about your vacation?"

"I planned it all out," he responds excitedly. "We're gonna go to 5- count them, FIVE Quidditch matches all over Europe and Asia. We're going to Bulgaria first. We leave the next day and go to Hungary and then all the way to China! We'll spend a few days there and then the last two games are in Japan. This way I can strategize and maybe even come up with a few new plays," he finishes and waits for my thoughts.

All I can manage to do is stare. Is he serious? This is a VACATION! "Oliver! Are you kidding me? Get your mind off of Quidditch for just 2 measly weeks!" How can that be his entire life? Seriously… I mean, we played a lot in Hogwarts but that was then. All of us have moved on to better things. There's more to life than just Quidditch. I bury my face in my hands and sigh.

"You don't think it would be fun?" He seems upset.

"What does it matter what I think? I'm not going."

"And why not?"

"Because I plan to enjoy myself on this vacation. I didn't even want one in the first place- I blame it on you and your 'My name is Oliver Wood' nonsense with Madame."

"That wasn't my fault. How was I supposed to know she would give you the week off?"

He has me there. I play with one of the last pieces of spaghetti before finishing off my plate. "So maybe it wasn't your fault. But that doesn't mean I want to go watch Quidditch for a week."

"Not even for me?"

"Oliver…"

"Pweeeeezzzzzzz?" Oh no… not the puppy eyes…

With a resolute sigh, I stand, grab my plate, and head for the kitchen. "Fine." I call over my shoulder. He cheers and gets up as well. I place the dishes in the sink and reach for the faucet.

While my hand is in mid-reach, he leans down behind me and whispers softly in my ear, "I can't wait, my dear."

I'm frozen as he puts his plate in the sink and heads for the couch. What? 'My dear?' And why do I have goose bumps all over my arms? Why did that send a tingle down my spine? Am I blushing, too? He's been making me feel this way lately and it's strange. I'm not like this around the twins- why is Oliver different?

I finally snap out of it and look over at him. Our eyes meet. For some reason I just panic and quickly focus on the dishes, groaning silently. He was grinning…

* * *

"I can't wait, my dear." I whisper. Her hand freezes and she stiffens a bit. I can't help but smirk. She's paralyzed. I sit on her amazingly comfortable couch and look over. Her gorgeous eyes glace in my direction. Merlin, she's adorable! Aww… and she's blushing, too. My grin gets bigger as she swiftly looks down. 

Well, I can't say I'm not pleased. She's starting to get nervous around me. Not in a bad way, mind you. It's more like the nervous feeling I get around her. The nervousness you get when you have feelings for someone. Is my subtle flirting starting to take effect? Maybe so- why else would she agree to go on this "Quidditch vacation"? Sacrificing her holiday just to be with me sure does say a lot. See? That again proves that she's the one. Who else would do something like that?

Apparently finished with the dishes, Katie awkwardly comes over.

"By the way- I have something for you." Now is the perfect time. I search my pockets and find the envelope. She looks confused as I hand it to her.

"What is this?"

"Just open it."

Cautiously, she unseals it and pulls out the contents. It takes exactly 3 seconds for her to scream so loudly that I'm sure my ears would have exploded, had I not been protectively covering them.

"OLIVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She lunges at me in a blur, tackling me in a massive hug. "Oh, Merlin- I'm so bloody happy! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!!! Oliver Wood, you are the best friend in the entire bloody world!!!!"

Her grip gets tighter with every word. Now it's my turn to be paralyzed. My mind goes blank for a few seconds.Is this what it feels like to be hugged by Katherine Bell? She's hugged me plenty of times before but that was years ago… and never like this. I wrap my arms around her in return and soak in the feel. "Are you sure you want this instead? I thought you would have liked the Quidditch vacation."

She fake glares at me, squeezes one last time and detaches herself. "Why would you do this for me, Oliver?"

It's a good thing I've prepared myself for just this question; otherwise I'd end up looking like a babbling fool. "Well, we're both on vacation and you said you wanted to go. So why not?"

"Normal people don't just get up and go on a cruise."

Wait… that was rhetorical. "Uh." Brilliant- I look like a fool anyway. "Well, you see…" Think of something! "We're not ordinary people, are we? We're magical."

"Yeah, but even witches and wizards don't do such extravagant things out of the blue."

She has me in a corner and has no idea. "The point is that tomorrow morning at 8, we need to be in Southampton." Changing the subject was always the easiest thing for me to do. This is no exception. "The ship leaves at 10. We come back Monday night."

"But I have work on Monday."

"It's all taken care of."

"What do you mean?"

"I went to Madame Farley and she said it was the most romantic thing she's ever heard of in her life. She doesn't mind. The other waitress- what's her name? Heather? She's been kind of low on money lately so covering for you is no problem at all."

"Ooohhh….. so _that's_ why she's been giving me so much time off! It all makes sense now." Katie looks down and inspects the tickets. "Wait- who are Mr. and Mrs. Everley?"

"Yeah… about that. We have to pretend we're married. My travel agent said she somehow had an easier time getting tickets. And we can't have anyone finding out I'm there. I'm not risking people pestering me for autographs or whatnot."

"That's understandable." She pulls two cards out of the envelope. They have all the information we need. It shows our name, age (for drinking and gambling purposes- it helps out the employees and saves time), cabin number, our dining room (both formal and informal), dining time, dining table number, and our 'ID'.

"According to Mrs. Lechmere, we use this thing as a 'charge card'. Oh- she's the travel agent," I explain. "I have no idea what a charge card is, though."

"This will be like our money. You can use this to pay for stuff- computers will let the bank know how much you spend and that amount will be taken out of your account. I assume that she made you a special account that will tell Gringotts how much money to give the muggle bank."

"Right." That makes a little bit more sense.

Katie plays around with the 'pass key' and looks over the itinerary.

"Oliver, you seriously are the best friend in the world. I can't believe this. This is amazing!" She hugs me again but this time it's different. My heart beats faster as she lays her head on my shoulder and wraps her arms around my chest. All I can do is return the hug and hope to Merlin that she doesn't hear my pounding heart.

A few moments pass. I have to go pack and get sleep- I only got 3 hours of rest last night. I have this thing- when I get nervous or excited (like before a game), I can't sleep. Regretfully, I let go. "Be ready by 7:30 tomorrow. I'll apparate here and we can use a portkey that Mrs. Lechmere sent."

She smiles gratefully. "Thank you, so much."

Merlin, that smile is amazing. And to know that I'm the one that made her so happy makes me feel like never before. With a final wave, I apparate to my flat.

* * *

The woman smiles at us warmly as she hands back our tickets. "Have a great stay with us! Bon Voyage!" 

Oliver looks over at me as we walk away. The gangplank is in sight. I repeat- the gangplank is IN FREAKING SIGHT!

"Woah, Katie!" Oliver laughs, pulling his suitcase behind him. "Calm down. There's no need to run- we still have two hours before we depart."

"You don't understand, Oliver! The gangplank is right _there_!" I cry, pointing at the bridge that will allow us to board the ship. "Come on, slow poke!" I barely even realize that I'm still dragging my own luggage.

Oliver grins as I grab his hand and drag him with me. "Oi!" he chokes. "I didn't think you would be this happy. Have you ever been on one of these?" It sounds like he's out of breath for some reason… Sure, we're walking kind of quickly, but a professional Quidditch player should be in shape, right?

"Nope. This has been my dream since I was 8 and a half."

We're 3 meters from the gangplank. My heart skips beats. I subconsciously squeeze Oliver's hand tightly as we take our first steps onto the bridge. He makes a weird noise again but all I can focus on is the sudden wobbling. It's safe, but since it's connected to a ship that's sitting on undulating water, walking feels strange and my balance is slightly thrown off. Oliver notices my difficulty and puts a hand on my waist to stabilize me. At his touch, a tingle shoots down my spine. It feels like a jolt of electricity just surges through me. What's making me feel like this? This happens only around Oliver. I don't know why- this has never happened to me before.

Wait- Alicia was talking about something like this. She said that before she started going out with George, her spine would always tingle and it was hard to breathe when he was around. She would start blushing for no reason and she couldn't look George in the eyes… and when she did, she would just be mesmerized.

I suppose my symptoms are the same, but that would mean I like Oliver. Nah… that's impossible. He's my best friend!

Cautiously we step into the atrium. So many things catch my eye at the same time and my breath catches in my throat. The walls are painted in lovely hues. Marble floors and numerous grand staircases lavishly decorate this welcoming room. Rich colors are found throughout and mesh together perfectly. A small stage with a live band is set up in front of two massive glass elevators. There's a bar, information center, and stories upon stories of countless things to see. Everything is shiny and clean and it looks brand new. It makes me feel like royalty. A little bit bigger than the Great Hall in Hogwarts (though the ceiling here is barely even visible), the main lobby is meant to be used as a meeting place and connects to all the main parts of the ship.

"Blimey…." Oliver whispers in awe behind me. I look back at him. He's absolutely captivated. "You were right- it IS big."

"Oliver, this is just the lobby… this is nothing compared to the rest of the ship."

"Blimey," he repeats.

"Come on, silly! We need to find our room. Let's just drop off the luggage and go explore." I pull out our charge cards. "Let's see… our stateroom is on deck 2. Let's use the elevator. It's two decks below us because this is the fourth deck. I don't feel like lugging these things down two flights of stairs," I indicate our belongings.

"I can carry yours. I offered before but you shooed me away. Let me help. That's what I'm here for."

"Oh, don't worry about it. Come on- let's get to the elevator before it gets too crowded."

We march across the atrium. The band is playing some light relaxing music; they nod and smile at us as we pass by them.

Once the elevator doors close behind us, I push the number 2 and we smoothly begin to sink below the floor. Oliver, clearly amazed, starts grinning foolishly. That smile is so cute. It makes me just want to hug him.

Wait. Cute? Hug him? Where did that come from? I mean, I've always thought Oliver was cute but lately I've been thinking that a lot. In fact, a little too much to think he's cute in just a 'friend' way. There's no explanation for why I get sudden tingles or why he makes me so excessively happy. Why would I blush or lose my breath for no reason?

No. I don't like him. That's crazy. Preposterous!

I feel my cheeks warming at the thought.

"What's wrong, Katie?"

His concerned look snaps my attention back to the present. "Uh. It's hot in here, don't you think? I mean there's not much air flow in an elevator so that could be why it's humid."

He gives me a look. "Uh- the door's been open for the past minute." And sure enough, we're no longer in the lobby, but looking out into a long hallway with countless doors.

"Right." I stumble out and look at my charge card. 2608 is our room. Oliver looks down the hall and waits for me to lead the way. As we get closer and closer, I start to mutter the numbers aloud. "2602. 2604. 2606…… Here. 2608." I slide the pass key into the slot and the light above the hole turns green for an instant. Without delay I pull the handle and the door swings open. To make sure Oliver understands how this works, I explain a few times.

We step into the stateroom and place our things on the floor. It's nothing significant. Half the size of a muggle hotel room, there's barely any walking space. There's a small desk with a vanity mirror. The bathroom is diminutive. A small television is suspended on the wall and a queen-size bed is located underneath a small porthole. It's not supposed to be anything special. They want everyone to have fun on the ship; spending the whole trip in your room is no option.

"Umm… there's only one bed?" Damn it! I just got rid of the blush and now it's back.

"She said there would be two. Maybe they come apart."

Sure enough, after a little difficulty, we manage to convert a queen into two twin beds. That saves us a LOT of embarrassment in the near future. Although, I can't help but notice that there's still not too much room between the beds. We pushed them against the opposite walls but there's less than a meter between them. I've never had to share such a small space with a bloke before, let alone sleep so close to one. Actually, I've never had to share any kind of lodging with a guy.

"Are you ok?" Oliver tries to look me in the eyes. I look at him but instantaneously regret it. His enthralling eyes leave me mesmerized and I end up looking stupid with my mouth slightly parted. He gently takes my hand, sits me down on one of the beds and kneels in front of me. Umm… why isn't he letting go of my hand? Why is he looking at me like that? Oh, he's so bloody cute. There are butterflies in my tummy. I shouldn't be so anxious around my best friend! There's no reason for me to even be anxious in the first place! Sensing my distress, he soothingly (or so he thinks) caresses my hand lightly with his fingertips. In reality, it's setting my mind ablaze with a plethora of different emotions and thoughts and… MERLIN! HE'S ONLY HOLDING MY HAND!!!!! "Katie?"

"I'm fine," I manage to squeak.

"No you're not. What is it? You can tell me anything. You know that, right?" His voice is caked with worry.

Yeah, I know; I trust this man more than anyone. But it's not like I'm going to explain that I get weird feelings around him. That just sounds awkward.

I feel dizzy from all the feelings rushing through me. I'm nervous because I don't know what to do. Out of nowhere I feel shy and vulnerable but at the same time, I've never felt so safe because I know Oliver would never hurt me. I have butterflies swarming inside my belly and it's hard to breathe because the way he's looking at me right now is, and I do mean this quite literally, breathtaking!

"I'm fine. Really. Could you wait outside for a minute? I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right out." I'm so dizzy…

He knows I'm lying but complies. That's going to give me trouble- I forgot how incredibly perceptive he is. When the door shuts behind him, I fall back onto the bed. Just take deep breaths, Katie. Deep breaths.

I can't like him. What if he doesn't like me back? Then this whole vacation would be ruined. Our friendship would be ruined. He would never speak to me again.

Stop over-reacting!! He's not a prat like Harold! He's Oliver Wood! Your best friend wouldn't be such a git. Even if he doesn't like me back he wouldn't leave. He's been there for me for so many years now… I trust that he won't give that up.

But that doesn't mean it won't be awkward…

It doesn't matter, though. Because I don't like him. I don't. Nope. It's simply not possible. So there- problem solved.

But does he like me? He's been visiting me a lot… but that could just mean he has no friends. Let's face it- he's Quidditch obsessed. He let Madame believe that we were dating but he likes to joke around sometimes. That doesn't mean anything. Hmm… He's been calling me 'Katie-pie' and even 'my dear'. He would never say that for no reason. He has a reputation to look after! And he's been peculiarly nervous around me for no reason. He took excellent care of me when I was sick. He made me soup and even told me a cute story. A story about love. It was so dorky but adorable at the same time.

Merlin… A world-famous professional Quidditch player wouldn't do something so sweet for no reason. And this cruise? What kind of friend just takes you on a cruise for no reason? That HAS to be a sign!

Wait- what am I thinking? Oliver wouldn't like me for the same reason I don't like him. Case-closed.

With my mind set, I take a deep breath to relax myself. I'm going to need all the help I can get.

* * *

Hides Thoughts? Comments? Advice? Ideas? If anyone wants to see something in future chaps, let me know! It'll help me out a lot. 

Mucho love!


	11. Just Like Jelly

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

Ah! I'm so sorry for making you wait so long for the update. I do have reasons for my absence. They include a trip to New Jersey, getting a particularly nasty stomach virus for a week, and then staying ill for another week. Oh! And did I mention that I got two wisdom teeth ripped out last weekend? So needless to say, I've been stuck resting in bed for quite some time. But thanks to a particularly boring Astronomy class, I wrote some more for you.

My deepest thanks to all of my reviewers: La Belle De Sans Merci, ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords, Ethell, lozzie84, the voice of singing clouds, Canadian Harry Potter Fan, fantasygirl26, and itxprincessxlala. I LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks to those that gave me ideas… especially lozzie84. I LOVE your ideas (though I'm not going to say which one made me squeal in delight). I will be sure to incorporate it in later chappies. ::Grins::

Anyway… on with the story!

* * *

"Attention, all passengers! We will be leaving in 15 minutes! If you would like to view the departure, please report to the front of the ship at this time," a voice says politely over the intercom.

"Thank Merlin!!" I whisper to Oliver as everyone immediately stands and shoves their seats out of the way. Our presenter looks helpless as his class deserts him without hesitation. He sighs and walks off.

I just sat through the most boring half hour of my life. I suppose Mandatory Safety Classes have good intentions but they're so boring! Ugh.

We decide to stay seated for a few more moments; one thing I've already learned is to put as much distance between crazy muggle tourists and yourself as possible. When they get excited and run, the cameras dangling around their necks have tendencies to bounce around and smack people in the face. They have ridiculous looking hats to 'protect them from the sun.' I say they just use their hats to block the view of whoever is behind them. Sun screen should be _blended _in with the skin- not look like war paint! And Merlin… socks should NOT be worn with sandals!!

Within a minute, everyone is gone. Oliver looks at me. "I never thought something could possibly be that boring. He just droned on like Snape!"

I nod. "Come on. I don't think watching the ship move is going to be any more interesting. Let's explore!" He smiles at my enthusiasm as I leap from my seat. Practically skipping in glee, I head in a random direction. The Mandatory Safety Class was on the eleventh deck. This is also the deck with the pools! There are two HUGE pools and even whirlpools and jacuzzis! Did I mention there's a gigantic spiral waterslide? Like… this thing is really, really big! There are hundreds of lounge chairs, cafes and a bar. And that's just what we've seen on this deck so far.

"Katie!" Oliver freezes in his tracks. I turn to face him. "What is THAT?" He points to something located on the deck above us. The twelfth is more like half a deck. It just runs around the perimeter of the ship. The center is non-existent; it allows the pools direct access to the sun. He's pointing at a wall maybe 15 meters tall located on the highest deck. Of course he has no idea what that is. With numerous colored shapes protruding out of the surface, there's nothing like it in the wizarding world.

I giggle, deciding to let him figure it out on his own. Looking for the stairs, I yell over my shoulder, "I'll beat you!"

There! Alright… just a few meters to the stairs and from there we have to run around some kind of building. It looks like it's in the very back of the ship. I finally make it to the stairs. One step. Two. Four. Six. I force myself to skip a few steps so I can get there fir-

WHAT?! Without hesitation, Oliver flies past me. What else could you expect? I suppose playing professional sports does have its advantages. Ugh… I can't beat him! He's already 10 steps ahead of me! He stops at the top to see how close I am. When he realizes that I'm a bit too close for comfort, he speeds off again. I make it up just in time to see Oliver run into the building. The Viking Crown Lounge. YES!! Even if there is an exit that leads to the other side, being inside will surely slow him down. Now he's gonna have to maneuver through whatever is inside.

As for me, all I have to do is run around- nothing in the way for me! With a new burst of energy, I run as fast I possibly can. I can't let him win! I finally make it to the building. Since half of the walls seem to be made of windows, I look inside to see how far along he is. I laugh out loud. A woman has stopped him at the door! She's about to hand him a menu. Merlin! It's a restaurant! She thinks he wants food! He looks desperate to get away. He just happens to glance at me; without a second thought, he says something (likely 'sorry') and sprints to catch up with me. Our eyes are locked on each other as we race along. Completely focused on me, he has to rely completely on his senses to make sure he doesn't run into anything. We're almost there. Just a few more meters.

Merlin- please tell me that he knows the doors aren't open. He's not slowing down! "OLIVER!!!!" I scream, trying to warn him, but it's too late. At full speed he runs straight into the doors and literally bounces off. His head is thrown back and his arms flail as he falls on his backside. I can't help but laugh. As painful as it looks, this is quite possibly the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. Especially since this is Oliver Wood! I mean, come on! The fastest rising Quidditch star in the world! Seeing him _bounce_ off the doors like jelly is priceless.

As I laugh, I forget to focus on my own running. Just my luck- I don't notice a chair that's conveniently not pushed in. My knees hit and I fly over it and headfirst. Thankfully, I've practiced 'falling' during Quidditch practices so I instinctively pull my arms up to protect my face. The impact wasn't as bad as sliding across the wooden deck until friction made me come to a stop.

"Katie!" I hear a voice coming closer. Still in too much shock to move, all I can do is call back. "I'm alright." A hand gently rolls me over so I'm on my back. Oliver's cherry-colored forehead and nose look painful.

He picks me up bridal-style, despite my protests, and carries me inside the building. Oliver sets me in a booth that is secluded. He double checks to make sure the coast is clear and that there's no way anyone can see. When he's sure it's safe, he pulls out his wand and mutters "Episkey" multiple times- each time aiming at a different part of my body. First my elbows, then each forearm and each knee. Then he points the wand at his face and says the same spell. Instantly our sore spots get incredibly hot; a few seconds later they feel like ice. For a few moments it's very cold but it quickly goes back to room temperature. He stows the wand and looks around to make sure no one saw. Thank Merlin everyone is watching the "ship launch." Otherwise we'd be in trouble.

"Are you alright?" he asks with genuine worry. Woah- now I feel kind of bad. Although seeing him fall was funny, I'm sure I must have been a sight... and he didn't even laugh!

"Yeah." I smile gratefully at him. "Thanks."

"Great." He stands and offers me a hand. I take it appreciatively and he pulls me up. Our eyes lock and for some reason a tingle shoots down my spine. Oh no… not this again. NO!! I don't like him! Seriously. Just ignore it, Katie. Ignore it. I tear my eyes away and take a deep breath.

We start heading for the rock wall. He opens the door for me so I walk outside, cautiously hiding my intentions. Once his guard is completely down, I make a run for it. "KATIE!" he shouts again. I turn to see if he's running or not but instantly regret it. Already he's nearly caught up to me. Damn! This bloke can run fast!!

There's a railing that keeps observers at a safe distance from the climing wall- almost like an unspoken agreement, we both know that whoever touches it first wins. I try my hardest to just go smidgen faster… come on…..! I reach out…. but so does he. No! It seems our hands touch the railing at the same time.

"I WIN!" we scream together, both laughing.

"Hmm…. I 'unno 'bout tha'. Wha' you say, Paul?"

"Come on, Mikey! It's obvious the young lady won!"

We didn't even notice two crew members standing there. Apparently they watched the whole thing. I smile shyly until I realize that Paul had defended me. "HA!" I cry out in victory.

"What? I _clearly_ won!" Oliver defends himself. I giggle at his distressed look. He gets so competitive!

"Wha' you say we let 'em go fer a roun'?" Mikey asks Paul. His heavy accent reminds me of Hagrid.

"Sure thing. Alright- see Mikey and I get really bored here. We usually have to work at the Rock Wall but it just gets so boring! It's on the rear of the top deck so not only can we not see what's going on anywhere else, but we're also stuck with kids all day. So what about this- we let you go three times in a row. That's fair, right? Best 2 out of 3 wins."

"We ain't 'pposed ta let ya go mor'n once but seein' the situation, we'll let ya go three!" He grins at us.

I instantly like these guys. They're risking getting in trouble for us? How awesome is that? I mean, it's true that there's no line or anything yet but I still think they're pretty cool. They could have just as easily yelled at us for running on the deck.

We jump over the railing and Mikey and Paul help us put on the harnesses.

Oliver looks confused. Just to spare him the embarrassment, I ask the two employees what exactly we have to do.

"Simple. Just pull yourself up by grabbing those colored rocks until you get to the top. Then ring the bell and come back down."

"Great." Oliver says. Now he knows what to do.

The two men set us up along the wall and blow a whistle.

Immediately I try to scramble up the wall. Luckily, I've done this before- even if it was when I was 9 years old. Oliver looks like he's having trouble. He's also heavier so it's a bit harder. Wait- what?! He's gaining on me! No! Not again!! For the second time today, he passes me and reaches the top. Without a second thought, he propels himself off the wall and begins to descend.

"NO, LAD! NO!!!" Mikey cries, trying to help Oliver. "Ya gotta ring tha bell!!"

"What?" is his confused response. But it's too late- I scurry up and ring the bell.

"That's not fair!" Oliver pouts.

"Too bad," I say cheerfully as I fall. Once I get to the ground, I stick my tongue out at him.

"Round Two!" Paul yells and blows the whistle. Looking oblivious, Oliver stares at me as I rush up the wall again. "Come on, lad! Move!"

I can't help but giggle. If I win this round, that means I win the whole match! DING!

Huh? But I didn't…..

I look up and see that somehow he had passed me. He grins at me as he propels himself off the wall once more. I stick my tongue out at him again.

Ok… round 3. This time we both know exactly what to do and there will be no early starts. The whistle blows for the last time. We quickly climb but from the beginning I can tell that he's going to win. Yet again, I realize that Quidditch might not be completely useless. After all, he has all the muscles he needs while I have none.

We reach the ground at the same time and Mikey holds up Oliver's arm. "We have a winner!" Now it's his turn to reveal his tongue.

* * *

By now the muggles are clearly getting bored with watching the water pass slowly underneath them. How they could have found it interesting in the first place is beyond me. Now they're wandering about the ship fascinated by everything. I suppose I can't be much better; after all, most of this is new to me. This ship has electricipee… and that alone makes everything different. 

Anyway- the ship is slowly getting more and more crowded.

"Let's go to a different deck," Katie suggests. "I mean, everyone was watching the ship's launching, right? That means the decks that have a view of the front of ship will be the most crowded. Let's go where no one else will think to go just yet."

This girl has an _excellent_ point. "Where do you think we will find such a place?" She smiles at me and without a word, leads me to the elevator.

"Pick a number."

There's no hesitation. "Three. It's always been my favorite number."

"Mine too! Three sounds great." She promptly pushes the number on the elevator's panel. Once we begin moving, Katie clears her throat. "So… what's something you want to do while we're here?"

What do I want to do? I want to grab her hand gently right now, look her straight in those beautiful eyes and tell her that I'm in love with her. I want to hold her in my arms and kiss her forehead. I want to dance with her or go on a moonlit walk. As long as I'm with her and she's having a great time, I'll be happy. Merlin, I feel so mushy. "I want to see what's so great about a muggle casino."

_What?_

Did that really just come out of my mouth? No, I couldn't be romantic or anything. I just had to blurt something I overheard a muggle say a few minutes ago. Good job there, Oliver. You deserve a nice pat on the back.

She giggles. "Well you're going to think I'm crazy but I want to learn how to dance. Don't laugh! I'm being serious!" Her tone is playful, whether or not she's telling the truth. "Really- I heard that they have dancing lessons every day at 9am and 3pm."

"You can't dance?"

"You don't have to make fun of me for it," she pouts. The elevator doors open and we step out. We're back in the seven-story atrium that we saw earlier. Katie veers off in a random direction.

"I'm not making fun of you. I just thought you got dancing lessons before the Yule Ball. Wasn't it required?"

"Oh. About that- I had a huge Divination test the next day so I was studying for it. I guess I should have gone; I got fussed at by McGonagall and ended up looking like a fool at the ball."

"Did you at least pass the test?"

"Not even close," she laughs.

"Well, you looked like a princess, Katie, even if you couldn't dance to save your life."

"Hey! I wasn't that bad!" she cries defensively and crosses her arms. Then as an afterthought, "And you don't have to lie to try to flatter me."

"I wouldn't lie to you. You were beautiful." Her chocolate eyes meet mine. "You always were, Katie Pie. You still are."

Her cheeks flush and she looks away quickly, unable to look at me. "Thank you," she mumbles, clearly at a loss for words. Well it's the bloody truth and if she doesn't realize it, I'm just going to have to tell her every chance I get until she believes me.

We turn a corner and see two elegant French doors with a large sign over them.

"Studio B? I wonder what that is."

"Let's go find out." Katie rushes to the doors and pulls one open. A rush cool air envelopes us immediately. She looks inside and gasps excitedly. "Are you serious?" she asks no one in particular. "An ice skating rink!"

"Really?" I can't fight the exhilaration that washes over me too. I love ice skating! It reminds me of home. There's a huge lake close to my parent's house and every winter I would go out with my mother and father. I can't fight the memories that consume me. "Let's go!" I cry as I rush inside.

An attendant spots us and offers us skates. We tell her our sizes and excitedly put them on.

"When's the last time you've ice skated?" Katie asks me.

"About ten years ago. I used to go every year… but that was before I found Quidditch. How about you?"

"Five years ago. Alicia and Angelina found out that I've never been so they forced me to one day. I was scared out of my mind but I fell in love right away. We skated every weekend during the winters but then work started consuming our lives so we stopped going."

"Do you think you still can?" I ask cautiously, secretly wanting her to say no just so I can hold her hand until she finds her balance.

"I think so. I'm not promising anything, though. Come on!" She gets up and carefully heads for the door that leads to the ice. Katie latches onto the wall and warily puts a foot on the frozen water. Once she deems it safe, her other leg follows. Still gripping on for dear life, the beauty moves to the side so I can test my own balance.

I find, with delight, that my legs can find their balance just as well as they did years ago. I stay still for a moment, making sure that I can stand. Slowly, I lean on one foot and begin to move. I glide around a bit before I feel confident. It feels like I just skated yesterday; perfect! This means that I can help my beloved!

I look over to Katie. Somehow she had slid away from the wall and is now just standing a few yards from the wall. Clearly frightened, she tries to make her way back to safety but finds that she can't move. "Oliver! Help me!"

I try to conceal a smile. I would do anything to help her. I quickly move to her side and take hold of her arm. She's pale and slightly trembling but calms at my touch. Gently, I bring her back to safety and she clings on with no hesitation.

"Maybe I should find my balance before I try to do tricks. I used to be so good! Angelina taught me how to twirl really fast and Alicia always made me race her. It was so much fun." She smiles in remembrance.

"I'm sure it'll be no time before you can do that again. Do you want me to stay with you until you get the hang out it again?" Please say yes! Please say yes! Say yes!

"I already look like I fool, Oliver. I want to see if I can do it by myself."

"Alright. Let me know if you need help." She smiles gratefully as I turn and glide off. Well I suppose that would make sense. She doesn't want to look vulnerable in front of me. She's always made an effort to be strong. That only makes me admire her even more.

My hands fumble in my pocket and clutch a box absently.

I make two laps around the rink and slow the third time so I can see how Katie is doing. "I see you're getting better." By now she's made it a little more than once around.

"Yeah!" she smiles at me. "I'm getting used to it. I don't even have to hold on anymore!"

"Are you ready to race me, then?"

"You are so competitive, Oliver."

"What do you expect?" I defend. "Have you ever known me to be anything else?"

"I guess not." She tests her abilities once more and finally glides away from the wall. "Either way, you and I both know who's going to win."

"You wouldn't even stand a chance." I say playfully. "I'd win just like before."

"Oh, really? We'll see about that." Before I know it, she's soaring at me. I move out of the way just in time.

"Hey!" I call. She's already at the center of the rink waiting for me.

"I can skate really well- I just needed to warm up. I bet you can't catch me!"

I grin as my competitive side takes over. I race along the ice and try to catch up with her. It feels so nice just to be able to see her smile. I've made her so happy and it feels spectacular. Could there be any better feeling in the world?

* * *

Hmmm... could there be a better feeling? I think there just might be something exciting in the next chappie. ;-)

Oh... I keep forgetting to ask: When should the lovely couple officially get together? Sometime soon or later during the cruise? After? Or should it just be a surprise? Let me know if you have any ideas. Like I said- even the simplest ones can inspire.


	12. Dazzling Diamond

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

Eeeep! I appologise for taking so long with the update. To be honest, it's hard to find time between Christmas shopping, spending time with the family, going to Virginia to meet my boyfriend's father, working, and otherwise catching up on much needed sleep. Sprinkle a bit (and by a bit, I mean a lot) of bad luck on top of that, along with refragmenting my entire computer system and there you have a summary of the past month of my life. This semester will be FILLED with work and papers and such, so I wanted to get a huge chappie out before it takes a hold of me. I spent hours upon hours writing this one and might I add- it's the longest yet. Just for you. It's around 8 or 9 pages, which is no small feat.

Thank you so much to my lovelies! ActionsSpeakLouderThanWords, StaR-758, lozzie84, the voice of singing clouds, fantasygirl26, kadathewildmage, estrelita, and k-stutz- I LOVE YOU GUYS::Huge smile:: Seriously, though. I love the ideas and I plan to use them to the fullest.

Let's see... just so you don't get confused- the split in the middle is a change between povs. I tried to make an outline for this chappie, but honestly, I can never follow those things. I feel too constricted and unrealistic (though sadly it can't be too realistic to begin with). So this is just how everything happened in my mind's eye. I hope you likeies!

* * *

"Katie! Hurry up! We're gonna be late," Oliver whined from the other side of the bathroom door. What's his problem? Sure, our dinner is supposed to start in 5 minutes, but technically we don't even have to go. 

The way dinner works on a cruise is simple. Everyone is assigned to a particular dining room. On this ship there are 3 such dining rooms and each of them have dinners at 4pm, 5:30pm, and 7pm. Oliver and I are scheduled for the 7pm dinner. This means that at 7 each night, we go to our dining room and find our assigned table. Each of these tables have seating for six- ten people. This is meant to give people opportunities to meet new friends and socialize. This dinner isn't mandatory but it's free (well…. everyone pays for it with their cruise tickets so it's included) and it's a great chance to get dressed up (these dinners are formal, by the way).

"Katie!" Oliver sounds rushed.

Finally I open the door and step out into the stateroom. He looks up, clearly ready to yell at me but his breath catches in his throat. I can't help but blush and feel warm as his eyes run over me. My black dress hugs my form in all the right places and flows down to my mid-thighs.

My hair is curled and pulled up in a bun with a few loose curls here and there. I figured light make-up would be best so I just stuck with mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick. A necklace with a heart-shaped pendant completes my outfit.

"You look spectacular, Katie. Bloody gorgeous."

My blush grows hotter. "Thank you," I say shyly. "You look smashing yourself."

This is a huge understatement. He's dawned in black slacks and a very nice collared button down shirt. Dress shoes tie in perfectly. And is that gel in his hair? Smashing. No… he's stunning. Handsom. Sexy. He looks so great that no words can describe-

Wait. Sexy? Did I just call him sexy?

Oh, Merlin. I did…..

But it's true. I can't deny it for anything… Oliver Wood is sexy.

Like…. _irresistibly_ sexy.

I try to distract myself by searching for my heels. Remember Katie- you don't like him. You don't like him like that. It's normal to think he's cute without necessarily liking him, right? Right?

Merlin- cute doesn't begin to describe…

I finish clasping my shoes and get ready to stand. Oliver rushes over, kneels down, and looks me straight in the eyes. Damn it! Why does he make me feel so nervous? I shouldn't have butterflies in my stomach! What is he… is that a little box he's pulling out? WAIT!!! WHAT'S GOING ON?!!

"Katie?"

Oh no. No.

Nononononononononono….. I'm not ready for this! I can't even let myself like him! My heart pounds mercilessly in my chest.

He opens the box to reveal a beautiful ring.

"Katie, I-"

"Oliver!!" I cut him off before he can say anything and speed on before I can stop myself. My heart is racing like a sprinting cheetah. "Please tell me this is a joke. I mean, for Merlin's sake, we're not even together! I know we've been friends for years but really, this is too soon. I had no idea you… Oliver! I love you as a best friend but I couldn't… I mean, I _couldn't_ like you BECAUSE you're my best friend, right? It's not possible! You can't be serious. Sure, my heart feels like it's going to leap out of my chest when I'm around you and I blush so often that you might as well call me 'Tomato'! And don't even get me started on how you make my knees go weak and how my breath is ripped from my lungs! But that can't mean anything because I cant like you like that because you don't like me like that and it couldn't work and-"

"Katie!" Oliver silences me before I can embarrass myself further. He places a hand gently on mine, the other still holding the box, and our eyes lock. He's silent for a few seconds, smiling, but clearly at a loss for which question to ask first. I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding and groan inwardly as I realize exactly how much I just blurted. I just couldn't stop myself! It's like trying to stop a speeding train- impossible! Deciding to spare me the humiliation, he chooses his words carefully. "Remember that on our charge cards we're Mr. and Mrs. Everley?" I nod carefully. "That means that everyone on this ship has to believe we're married," he explains gently. "People will wonder if we're not wearing rings. After all, our seats at dinner will have tags indicating that we're married. Are you alright with that?"

His hand leaves mine and reaches for the ring. In a motion I'm somehow sure he's practiced, he places the ring on the very tip of my left hand's ring finger. Oliver looks at me for my answer to his silent question. I numbly nod. This is just WAY too many emotions in one day for me to handle. He slides the ring on and we both watch it shrink around my finger to fit perfectly. He grins and I turn beet red as we both realize what that means. See, magic rings fit perfectly when the wizard's emotions are true and strong. And the witch's emotions are symbolized by how shiny the ring appears. It won't come off until our emotions for each other fade. So seeing it adjusting to fit my finger and glinting madly means not only that he likes me, but that I like him too.

Merlin…. Am I really that naïve? I needed a ring to tell me that I like someone? After so many signs and emotions around him, I couldn't tell on my own? I feel like an idiot. And even worse- he knew the whole time that I liked him! I mean, giving a magic ring to someone who's just a friend is a huge leap of faith. I would hate to be turned down like that… He must have been sure that I returned his feelings, otherwise he would have found some kind of other ring.

But then again, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he got a magical ring. How would he ever get a hold of a regular muggle ring? And why would he willingly pass up a chance to see if his feelings for me are returned?

Judging from the look of mirth on his face, he's never been so blissful. He stands, offers his hand, and pulls me to my feet. He grabs our coats, cards, and pass key while I step out of our room. Oliver follows me and locks the door behind us.

I'm still in shock so all I can do is mechanically walk down the hall. I can't help but wonder… how much of this did he have planned? Did he take me on this cruise just to get me alone with him so he could woo me? Did the travel agent really change our identities because it was easier or was it a plot between her and Oliver? How long did he have this ring for? Merlin…. I was absolutely clueless. I'm so stupid!

The walk to the elevator is silent. We nod politely to three other passengers also on their way up with us, and move to one side. I look at my toes while Oliver cheerfully strikes up a light conversation with them. All I can focus on is how the ring feels between my fingers. It's light and delightfully warm. The sparkle catches my eye and nearly entrances me. I'm such a fool.

A bell dings as the elevator stops on our floor. We say our goodbyes to the family and step out. Oliver walks next to me for a moment. Then he leans down next to my ear and whispers, "Is it just me, Katie Pie, or is it glimmering particularly brightly?" and walks ahead of me, nearly skipping the whole way to the dining room.

I'm so glad that we're on our way to socialize because I'd go crazy if I had to face him now. It's not every day that someone tells you that you like him without you even knowing in the first place.

Before long, we finally see our destination. Such an intricate dining area I have never seen. Countless diamond chandeliers hang on golden chains, illuminating two floors of numerous, perfectly set tables. From where I stand, I can see four small waterfalls trickling down mosaic backdrops. Marble pillars are spread evenly throughout and accent the deep red carpet. Hundreds of other guests move about, trying to find their tables while those already seated talk animatedly. All of them are wearing formal dresses or suits and everyone looks great.

A hostess walks up to us cheerily and asks for our charge cards. Oliver hands them to her; she examines them and gives them back promptly. "Right this way, Mr. and Mrs. Everley." We follow her through the maze of people and tables, up a grand staircase, and past three more waterfalls. She halts in front of a table that seats six, pulls out our chairs for us (despite our attempts to tell her she didn't have to), and tells everyone to enjoy their meals.

Oliver and I smile at the other three occupants. Their name plates read Mr. John Silvestre, Mrs. Karen Silvestre, and Miss Emily Jenkin. The fourth name plate deems the missing man Mr. Leon Motte.

Mr. Silvestre introduces everyone just incase we're confused. "This is my beautiful wife, Karen, and my sister-in-law, Emily." I can't help but notice how she's looking at Oliver. She keeps glancing at him… almost as if she knows him. Maybe she just thinks he's cute- he is, after all, among the Top 10 Sexiest Quidditch Bachelors. "I'm John. Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Everly."

Oliver introduces us as a newly-wed couple on our honeymoon. Emily looks us over intently but remains quiet.

After some small talk, we look over the menu. Our waiter delivers our drinks and takes our orders moments later.

Our attention falls onto the last open seat. Leon Motte is nowhere in sight. "Do you think he'll show up?" Emily asks curiously.

"Maybe he's single," her big sister winks and nudges her lightly.

"Oh, don't be silly, Karen." Emily says, blushing.

"So, Oliver, what do you do for a living?" John asks, sparing his sister-in-law's embarrassment.

My heart races. We're supposed to act like muggles but Oliver didn't take a single note in Muggle Studies class! If I answer for him, it will seem suspicious. All eyes are on him.

"I'm a professor," Oliver states confidently. But how could he possibly know any muggle subjects?

"What do you instruct?"

"Apes." Oliver says seriously. There's a silence and he laughs. "I'm kidding. I teach Astrophysics: more specifically the mastery of flight and its components. But seriously, sometimes I think of my students as apes. The confused looks I get are priceless."

"Woah…." Karen says wide-eyed. "I'm sure I'd be one of those 'apes'! That sounds ridiculously difficult. What about you, Katie? What do you do?"

I suppose Oliver knew that if he said something like that, they would just accept it and move on without questioning him. What a smart approach. But that puts me in quite the pickle. Why would a professor, one that surely makes a nice amount of money marry a waitress who earns a fraction of his income? Better yet, what would they have in common? Nothing.

Not to mention that Quidditch players have to be masters of flight. How clever! But then again, I could be mistaking cleverness for unimaginativeness.

Taking this all into consideration, I tell them that I am a doctor at a British hospital and I'm very confident that they've never heard of the name of it.

"Well it seems we're sitting with geniuses, aren't we?" John chuckles. "I'm afraid I can't impress you in return. I just opened a restaurant in America with my wife. If you ever happen to go to Massachusetts, look us up. It's called the Green Dragon."

"Green Dragon," Oliver repeats to remember the name. "Brilliant."

"Emily is a sophomore at Mont Isabelle University. She's majoring in Psychology. Isn't that right?" Karen looks proudly at her sister who nods in return.

"It's just something that's always interested me," she says shyly. Emily seems to be a quiet person. Is she just nervous around new people or is there something more?

Throughout dinner, we find out a lot about each other. John and Karen are 22 and 21, respectively. He's obsessed with muggle football (I think the American version, though I'm not completely sure. And I can't say I honestly care for any sport other than Quidditch). Karen on the other hand, loves to dance. She teaches young kids to dance on the weekends. Maybe she can give me some pointers… Merlin knows I sure need it.

Emily barely spoke at all but her loving sister and brother-in-law bragged about her enough to give us a good idea of what she's in to. She plays the violin and piano on a near professional level. After all, their parents are rather well off. They live in a huge colonial house in Massachusetts and insisted that their children had to be brought up the proper way. While Karen specializes in cooking, housekeeping, and artistic abilities, Emily was brought up to be a musician and scholar. It's no wonder Emily is so quiet. Her parents barely let her have free time to see her friends.

Our three table mates grow on us quickly.

Finally, just as our dinner plates are taken away, a _very_ handsome man walks up and introduces himself as Leon. He looks us all over as if to judge us, taking considerable longer looks at Karen, Emily, and I. Satisfied, he takes his seat next to Emily and looks her over once more, making her blush deeply. "Just in time for deessert, no?" he says with a gorgeous French accent. Wow… he is really cute. And I have to admit, I _love_ accents. LOVE them.

John and Karen share a huge slice of cheesecake, Emily has tiramisu, and Leon orders a double espresso. Oliver decides to get a brilliant looking brownie covered in chocolate, and I get ice cream for myself- complete with chocolate syrup and sprinkles to match.

Leon takes this time to tell us about himself as if to make up for being late. He grew up in Paris; has been to fourteen different countries; and is fluent in German, English, and Spanish. He's very confident with himself and sounds like a true gentleman. He looks at Emily often, making her blush frequently. If I'm not mistaken, she's smitten.

"So, is there anything special going on tonight?" Oliver asks. It's already 9 but neither of us are tired.

"Karen and I are going to the ballroom," John answers excitedly. "We'd love for you to join us."

Oliver agrees wholeheartedly and grins at me. Oh, Merlin… what is he planning now?

"What about you, Emily?" Karen asks.

"I'm not sure yet."

"Actuallee," Leon begins. "I was 'oping to take Emilee on a date. Would you care to go dancing?" He looks at her expectantly.

"Sure," she says quietly, a smile forming on her lips.

"Perfect!" Oliver exclaims. "Let's be on our way."

* * *

The ballroom is nearly as large as the dining room and equally elaborate. Walls draped in satin and silk run around the perimeter of a dance floor roughly fifteen meters across and twenty meters wide. A single chandelier hangs in the center of the room, giving the space an ethereal look. Tucked in a corner is a grand piano. Breathtaking music from both piano and violin fill the room, setting a perfect atmosphere. 

Karen, apparently the most excited out of any of us, tries her hardest to refrain from squealing and immediately drags her husband to the floor.

I hold out my arm to Katie and lead her onto the floor. My heart is pounding once more. This beautiful woman has made me fall head over heels and she doesn't even know it. She has no idea that she makes me go crazy with love. Merlin, even her touch makes my heart leap.

Satisfied with our location on the dance floor, I turn to her and slowly rest one hand on her slim waist, making sure she doesn't feel uncomfortable. Her left hand slinks onto my right shoulder nervously. Our free hands connect and fingers interlace; a feeling like no other courses through me. My heart races against my chest.

I've known Katie for years. When you're in love, waiting years feels like whole lifetimes. It can be excruciating in every single aspect. Every moment you just think 'when will I see her again?' or 'is she safe and happy right now?' and there's no way to know the answer without looking like a stalker. Knowing that there's a chance she's not happy kills me. It really does. How could I focus on anything else is I know that she might be upset and I'm not there to help her? Or what if she falls for someone else and I loose my chance forever? Blimey…. I think I'd loose it if I saw her with another bloke because I know no one could ever love her more than I do. I know no one is ever going to be good enough for her because they all break her heart in the end.

But to know that she likes me in return is unreal! This angel is here with me. She's holding my hand, standing in my arms, smiling up at me. Her beautiful eyes see only me… I could have never even dreamt of how amazing she makes me feel. Not to mention that I have a smashing chance with her! Her ring is glinting brightly.

"I can't dance…" she whispers.

I can't help but smile. "You don't have to know how. All you do is follow me," I encourage her on. She's perfect in every other way- why should this be an exception?

Instinctively, I listen to the music and let myself fall into the rhythm. My feet move as if they have a mind of their own.

I hear her take a deep breath and feel her tense as she tries to concentrate on following me. She's so adorable. I restrain myself from grinning and assure that she's doing fine.

The song ends she tries to smile discretely, apparently proud that she did so well. There's a slight pause as the musicians silently agree on the next song and soon the room is filled with soft melodies once more.

John and Karen look like they practice every day. They have a whole dance memorized and by the looks of it, they could do it with their eyes closed. I don't doubt that they could dance for hours without repeating a move.

I scan the ballroom for Emily and Leon. Emily seems mesmerized by her dancing partner. They move fluidly across the floor. It seems both of them know exactly what they're doing. Leon tries to hide an all too familiar smile. He leans down and whispers something in her ear, making her blush a deep red.

"I wonder what he said," Katie wonders aloud.

"I have a pretty good idea." I had no problem with him at first but now that I think about it, I realize I shouldn't have trusted him so easily. I know his type and I don't like it. He's a bloody git who seduces women. He charms ladies into his bed… and once they're there he changes like a werewolf in the moonlight.

"Oliver?" I finally tear my eyes away from the pair. Katie has that look…. the one that says 'I need answers. Now.'

"Don't worry about it," I say a tad more harshly than I intended. I just get angry when blokes think of women so boorishly. I don't want to get involved and make a scene but I'm also not just going to stand by and let him seduce someone- especially since she's too refined and inexperienced to realize his intents.

Katie decides to drop it and focuses down at our feet again.

There's a silence between us once more. Just as I'm finally getting my mind off of how much I hate prats like Leon, they glide out into the middle of the floor doing some kind of incredibly difficult dance. Don't ask me what it's called. Most of the other people stop and watch in awe. The steps look ridiculously complicated, yet they move with such ease that they are able to carry on a conversation. I feel the urge to hex him just to wipe that grin off his face.

When the song ends, he kisses her on the cheek, making her flush even more. She's falling for it.

"Oliver!" Katie whispers loudly. My head jerks back in her direction. "What is your problem? Seriously… you have a death grip on my hand! Tell me what's going on."

I instantly release her soft hand and massage it carefully. Katie ignores the color rushing to her cheeks and demands to know why I'm glaring at Leon. I sigh and explain myself.

She looks taken aback. "Are you sure about this? I mean… what if you're just jumping to conclusions?"

"I'm not, Katie! I know that glint in his eye. What else could he be whispering to make her turn as red as a cherry?"

"Well what if she just likes him? How could you even be sure she's so clueless? I'm sure that if she felt uncomfortable she would have left by now."

Good point but there's no denying what he's trying to do. "Can't you talk to her? Just make sure she knows what kind of bloke she's with. I'll talk to him, deal?"

Katie gives me a look but obliges. She has a good heart but she's still reluctant to get into other people's business. She turns on her heel and heads for the couple. They exchange greetings and Katie asks Emily something. Emily nods and they head for the door.

Leon looks annoyed and stands there awkwardly. Perfect. I cautiously maneuver through the other people and greet him gruffly. "What can I help you weeth?" he asks brusquely.

"I couldn't help but notice the looks you give that girl and the way you make her feel uncomfortable and-"

"It reely is none of _your _concern," he interrupts, clearly preoccupied. "I can do whatever I want and you have no reason to be spying on me."

"She's an innocent girl. Don't you dare force her into anything she doesn't want."

He finally looks at me and sizes me up. "There is nothing I have that she doesn't want," he replies arrogantly. "Farewell, Moinsuir." With that he turns on his heel and leaves rather rudely.

I follow closely behind him. Once outside, we spot the girls coming out of the restroom, Emily with tears in her eyes. She notices us and rushes away, not even looking at Leon.

Leon realizes exactly what happened and walks straight for Katie, fist clenched. She doesn't even realize- she's too busy looking at her feet, likely feeling bad about ruining Emily's night.

No time is wasted. I run at Leon and before he knows it, I have him up against the wall. Katie gasps, clearly taken by surprise. My hand is gripping his tie tightly. "Don't you dare fucking touch her. Get the hell out of here." I shove him away from Katie and wait for him to take his disgraceful leave. "Bloody prat," I say angrily to no one in particular and turn to see if Katie's alright.

I place my forefinger underneath her chin and gently make her look at me. "Hey," I say gently. Merlin, she looks like she's about to cry. "Come here." And before she has a chance to protest (although I doubt she would), I pull her into my arms and hug her tightly.

A few moments pass and she decides she'll be fine. "Let's go get some air."

I nod and put my arm around her protectively. No one is going to hurt her. No one.

We reach the top deck and find a secluded spot. Neither of us really feels like dealing with muggles right now (or anyone else for that matter). Katie leans against the railing and watches the waves go by underneath us. I move next to her and follow her gaze.

"Sorry. I'll be fine, Oliver," she says apologetically.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You just did the right thing. It's better than letting her get into a situation she doesn't want." She nods in agreement. "Now come on, let me see that beautiful smile."

She complies, looking up at me with a small smile.

"That's my Katie Pie."

And then she did the most amazingly simple yet heart-stopping thing she's ever done. She lunges at me and wraps her arms around my torso, squeezing me in a hug that just fills me with bliss. I quickly return the action and rest my chin on top of her head. We stay like that for I don't even know how long. Time just stops when I'm with her. It's like she's the only thing that matters in the entire world and everything else just fades away. Sure, she's hugged me numerous times, but never like this. This time I actually connect with her and it's like her thoughts and emotions run through me, enabling me to feel exactly what she does. I never want to let go. Ever.

"You want to play a game?" I ask without moving.

She just looks up at me, clearly not expecting such a question.

"We take turns saying things about ourselves that few people (or no one, preferably) knows." We move over to a pair of nearby chairs. "I'll start. My favorite Quidditch team isn't Puddlemere United. It's the old Gryffindor team."

"Oliver… I don't think that really counts."

"Of course it does!" he exclaims indignantly.

"Fine. I love strawberries."

He nods his head as if stowing the information. "I don't hate haggis."

"You don't hate it?" she repeats with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. The thought of what it actually is repulses me but it doesn't taste bad."

"When I was 6, I used to dress up and pretend I was a princess. I would go around my house and wave a toy wand pretending I could do magic. That was before I knew I was a witch. And I would have tea parties and teach my dolls manners."

I can't help but grin. "That is the cutest thing I've ever heard." I shake my head at the thought of little Katie in a frilly pink dress pouring tea for her dolls. "My mum made me take dance lessons."

"Is that why you're such a natural?"

"Are you kidding? It took me forever to learn! I was the bloody clumsiest wizard ever and they made me dance. It was horrible."

"Sunflowers are my favorite flower. They just make me happy."

"I was 4 years old when I first sat on a broom. I broke into my father's broom closet and snuck it outside. I had no idea what to do- it just looked so easy when everyone else did it that I thought the broom would just automatically know what to do. I hopped on and nothing happened. I got impatient and started kicking around until it finally reacted. Only problem was that before I knew what happened, I was fifty meters off the ground. Katie- that's really bloody high when you're 4. The broom just decided to stop right there. Of course, no one knew I was even outside so panicked and ended up screaming for my mum." I chuckle at the look on her face. Though terrified, it was absolutely priceless. "As punishment, my father took me out every night for 2 weeks and made me practice flying until I was as perfect as a 4 year old could be. It was torture at first but that's what got me hooked on Quidditch."

She giggles. "Alright… seeing you afraid of flying is beyond reason." She looks up at the billions of stars above our heads and thinks. "I make wishes on shooting stars."

"What kind of wishes?" I've never really thought to try out the whole 'wish upon a star' thing so I have no idea what I would wish for.

"I dunno. Like to end world hunger or help sick people or something."

I look over at her, "No. I mean what would you wish for? If I could grant any wish for you right now, what would it be? Anything in the world and beyond."

"To help people," she says without missing a beat.

I shake my head and lean over her with one arm on either side of her head. Our eyes lock and her breath catches in her throat. "I said a wish for you. Not other people. Something just for you."

"I don't know," she answers meekly.

"Of course you do. Just tell me, darling."

"You already granted it, though. I've always wanted to go on a cruise."

"Well then you'd have to think of another one."

She tries to focus but I can tell that my proximity is really affecting her. I opt to let her off easy this time and not make her answer just yet. "You know what I would wish for?" I pause but I know her voice would squeak if she tried to answer. I lean in and ever-so-slightly brush my lips against her own. I can see her shiver underneath me. She would have pushed me away by now if she was uncomfortable. Her lips quiver with delight.

Merlin- I've been waiting for this moment for years. I press my lips upon hers once more, this time keeping them sealed together. Her eyes flutter closed right before mine do and for that moment we were lost to the world. Though it's a simple, chaste kiss, we both tremble in bliss. And though my eyes are closed, I can faintly see something shining brightly through my eyelids.

* * *

Sooooo...? I personally really like this chappie. They're still not technically together because I don't think it should be quite so fast. Only time will tell when they actually do get together. It may seem like I focused on Emily and Leon a tad too much but they'll come back in later chappies, so don't forget about them. I'll try to write as much as I possibly can, but I know school's going to absolutely drown me this semester. I promise I won't give up on you guys, though! I WILL finish this!

Oh! And there's a reference to an AWESOME place. Can anyone tell me what it is or where it's from? I'll give you a hint- it's from my favorite book/movie. You will be my HERO if you know. ::Grins::

Bunches of loves!!


	13. Oliver and Emily

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

So I suppose you guys got lucky- I couldn't stop writing. Like... I have a HUGE project due in 46 hours and I am nowhere near done. What did I do instead of researching like mad? Yup- I was stuck in Katie/Oliver Land. This chapter was incredibly easy to write so it's already longer than my longest chappie. Makes my previous hard work seem like nothing.

I would like to thank my lovely reviewers!!!! And Nightwish for inspiring me and keeping me focused (and making me dance like a fool). Of course I was focused on the wrong thing but I'd rather have this posted before I worry too much about homework. Oh- and the voice of singing clouds- it sure is the Green Dragon and that is most definately from LotR. YOU WIN::Grins:: I squealed when I read your review.

* * *

Mmmm… I feel so warm. I love snuggling underneath the blankets in the morning. It's one of my only chances to actually relax and have a few moments to myself. 

But as I curl up in a ball and pull the blanket up to my chin, I realize with slight panic that this isn't my bed. My eyes jerk open and focus on something directly in front of me.

The sight nearly makes me want to 'awww' aloud.

Oliver has never looked so serene. His eyes are closed lightly and a smile is still tugging on his lips. A pillow is gripped in one hand, while his other hand is securely holding his blanket so it doesn't fall off.

I hold my hand to my mouth to stifle a string of giggles; I know exactly how I'm going to wake him.

Cautiously, I shift my weight, as to not make any noise and move ever closer to the sleeping Keeper. Once in a perfect position, I tug lightly at the pillow until he releases it. I grin like a maniac as I toss it to the side.

Ready?

Go!!

And without giving him the slightest warning, I launch myself at him and tickle as much as I possibly can.

He jolts awake and after a moment of shock, begins to laugh uncontrollably.

"Katie!" he cries. "Cut it out! This isn't fair!" He tries to gently push me away but is unsuccessful.

"Never!!" I giggle madly. Serves him right for all those early morning practice sessions at Hogwarts.

"Katie! Seriously!" he chokes. His face is bright red by now. "You'll regret this!"

"Oh, really? I'm not too convinced."

And before I know it, our positions are reversed and his hands are flying up and down my sides. I squeal in both surprise and frustration. I hate when I'm the victim! Fred and George used to pin me down and tickle me until I cried and still refused to stop!

"Oliver! I'm sorry!" I pant, already feeling my face flare up from laughter.

"Well, you weren't convinced, and honestly, Katie Pie- that wasn't a very nice way to wake up. Going from being perfectly comfortable to choking for air with no warning isn't too thoughtful, huh?" He's clearly enjoying himself.

"Please!" I beg. This didn't exactly turn out the way I'd hoped.

"Hmm… I'm not too sure I should stop. What if this little incident repeats itself tomorrow morning?"

"It won't!"

"Are you sure?" his eyebrows are raised in amusement.

"YES!!!" I choke. This is going to kill me!

And surprisingly, he stops. Oliver kneels beside me and stares down at my tear stained cheeks. He contemplates for a second and lets me catch my breath. But just as I calm down and wipe my tears, he springs at me. This time, though, he finds a new target: underneath my knees.

Instantly, I scream and giggle. Tears pour down my face once more. He found my weak spot! I'm going to kill him!

And finally after what seemed like hours, he releases me and stands up. "Maybe next time you can wake me up in a nicer way, Cupkates."

"Cupkates?"

"Why not? I need my own original name for you. Katie Pie technically belongs to the twins. I need a more personal name."

I decide not to protest and fall back on my bed, trying to fill my lungs with enough air.

Oliver stretches and yawns lazily as he heads for the bathroom door. "I have a lot planned for today, Cupkates. Just you wait." With that, he disappears into the bathroom and I'm left to calm myself down. What a way to start the day!

It's already 3pm. It took us nearly an hour to get ready since we can't both use the bathroom at the same time. It's simply way too small. That and I don't think I need to see anyone naked. Especially my best friend- no matter how sexy he is.

For breakfast we went to the same dining room as last night. I guess we must have just missed Karen and John- the crew was cleaning up after them but Emily's and Leon's places were still set perfectly. It was only 10, after all so maybe they were just still asleep.

Then we decided to try our luck at golf. Oliver has never played before, so needless to say, he wasn't the greatest. The most I've played was put-put. I'd assume that to any passer-by, we looked absolutely pitiful. I mean, Oliver actually hit someone in the head with the ball (the look of panic on his face was priceless, though). I can't say I'm much better- there were three occasions where Oliver had to actually jump out of the way to avoid being hit by my club.

By the time we got to the 8th hole, we started muttering spells under our breaths. No one saw us…. except for one bloke. He just happened to be jogging by on the race track (which runs over the golf course) and swore he saw the ball suddenly zoom into the hole- a feat he deemed impossible from where we were standing. He went so far as to run back down the bridge and rush over to us, saying he needed to examine to course. In the end he convinced himself that Oliver was either a professional or some kind of wizard. Needless to say, we promptly excused ourselves and once out of sight, ran like the wind.

I can't lie, though- it was exhilarating.

Around 2:30 we agreed that we were in the mood for ice cream. I can't tell you how amazing this place's ice cream is! Seriously. All I got was a waffle bowl with vanilla ice cream and rainbow sprinkles- the simplest thing ever- and I was in love from the first bite. We already arranged to go back tomorrow.

Right now I'm leading Oliver in some random direction. I'm know exactly what I want to do but I want to find the perfect spot. I'm pretty sure we've passed this coffee shop twice already…

"Katie, what are you looking for?" Oliver finally questions. He obviously thinks I'm lost.

I ignore him and look from side to side, still trying to find what I'm looking for.

After exactly four more minutes I see it. A marble statue of a woman with long, flowing hair- perfect. I turn to face him and explain excitedly. "Alright. We're going to play Hide-and Seek. This is base," I indicate the statue.

A grin creeps on his face. I can tell he's already thinking of places to hide. "You do know that I am going to win, right?" Here's his competitive side. Not only is he so lovable when he gets excited like this, but it's cute that he's actually agreeing to play such a childish game. "I haven't played this in years!" he exclaims.

And what's more- this is Oliver Wood, here. Oliver Wood wants to play Hide-and-Seek. Am I the only one seeing this? Think about it- one of the 'Sexiest Quidditch Bachelors' wants to play Hide-and-Seek with me. I know I'm not just another witch to him and this helps prove it all the more. He feels totally comfortable around me- even so much as to agree to play such a childish game.

Have I really made him this carefree? I mean… Oliver has _never_ smiled so much as he's been grinning since last night. He doesn't have a reputation to worry about here; it's all muggles. And he's FINALLY getting a much needed vacation. On top of all of this, he's said several times today that by liking him back, I've made him happier than he's ever been before.

Well… with the exception of winning the House Cup.

"The boundaries are this deck, the one above us and the one below us. Alright?" He shakes a finger at me sternly. "No cheating, either. You're It first!"

Wait. What? "No! Not fair! It was my idea… I shouldn't have to be It!"

"Start counting."

I salute him cheekily and assure I will do no such thing. What can I say? His giddiness is rubbing off on me. Oh- and I'm on a _cruise_. That might have some affect on me. "I'm only counting to 50, though. I don't want to look like a complete idiot. A girl standing alone next to a statue with her eyes closed is strange enough."

"Deal."

The instant I close my eyes, I hear him bolt off. Honestly, can we be any goofier? I know he wants to woo me. He just picks the cutest ways to do it. Can you think of any other wizard who would do this with me? I just love how he feels so relaxed around me. And that in turn makes me feel like I can be myself. With my other boyfriends, I've always felt the need to be more of what they thought I should be. So being my dorky little self and knowing Oliver fancies me for it makes me feel golden. And in the same respect, he knows he doesn't need to live up to his famous persona to impress me. In fact, I prefer him to be the Oliver I've known since forever ago. Being famous corrupts a lot of great wizards and witches. Who can honestly find a pompous and self-centered whore attractive? Knowing Oliver hasn't changed, despite how easily he could be corrupted makes him all the better.

Anyway… now he's perfectly aware that my feelings for him are there- Oliver's just trying to coax them out.

Oh, bugger. I was supposed to be counting. I'm sure I've been standing here for long enough, though.

I open my eyes and groan. Which direction did he go in? Ugh… I didn't realize just how big the decks are until now. This is going to be ridiculous.

I start heading in a random direction. Let's see… what's on this deck? There's the huge atrium, a casino, bar, and a theatre. One of the main dining rooms is on this level but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't go in there. I won't bother checking. I doubt he would go into the theatre so I'll leave that for last.

I'll check the casino, then. Maybe I'll get lucky?

Haha… I made a funny.

I'm such a dork.

I step onto the elegant red carpet and look about. Merlin, he would be so confused here. He would have no idea what these machines are or why on earth the muggles insist on spending so much time in front of them when all they do is blink and make obnoxious sounds. I love how naïve he is sometimes. The look on his face when he has to figure out something muggle related is adorable. It's just pure confusion. I'm sure I looked very similar when I first went to Hogwarts. I remember actually screaming when the huge paintings started talking to me. One of the most embarrassing moments of my life… I'll tell you that.

Well, he's not here. Maybe the bar?

I search all over the place and just as I'm about to give up and move to the next deck, I just happen to glance back at the Greek statue. There stands Oliver, grinning and sticking his tongue out at me.

I march over and glare playfully. "Start counting, mister."

He obeys and starts whispering numbers up to 5 and then goes silent.

I try my hardest to suppress the urge to mess with him while he's standing so vulnerably with his eyes closed and quietly run away.

Where should I go? Hmm… I'm going to make it hard on him. I'm going down to the next deck. It'll take him ages to find me. I finally locate the stairs and rush down them. Now- where's a good place to go?

Ooohh! A study room! I creep inside a random collection of rooms and close the French doors. It's modeled after a study complete with shelves upon shelves of books. Mahogany desks are placed about and a large globe sits in the center of the room. This place is so peaceful and serene. It sort of reminds me of the Hogwarts library.

I walk around, running my fingers over the cool wood and pick up a booklet left on a coffee table.

Excursions: Greece!

Perfect! I can look through this and plan some adventures. But just as I sit down, the door opens and in walks Oliver.

Incredulous, I stare. "How….?"

He folds his arms across his chest proudly. "I have my ways, Cupkates. I have my ways."

I pout but follow him back to the statue. I'll read the booklet later.

When I open my eyes from counting the second time, I have a gnawing feeling that he's back down on the deck below. It's not like I have any other leads so why not go there first?

It takes me 6 minutes to locate him. Of course, he just had to find the Fitness Center and insisted on figuring out how the muggle equipment works. I have to practically drag him out. He makes me promise we will come back before the trip is over.

And for the second time, I dash away from the statue. Time to change it up- I'm going up a deck.

I walk casually down a hallway and come across some fancy doors. The theatre!!! It's amazingly large and if I hide between the seats, he'd have to look down every row to find me. Who cares if it'll take forever. I'm definitely winning this.

I pull the door open and peer inside. No one is here. Excellent. I hike all the way to the top and take a seat a few rows from the very back. This way I can oversee the entire theatre and when he finally does look here, I can creep around and evade him. Sure, he's going to get me back some time or another, but I want to have fun for now.

I lay back against the seat and pull out the booklet. We have to see some of the ruins. They're so pretty. Wow! Scuba diving?! I've always wanted to try that!! I wonder if Oliver has ever been scuba diving? I really doubt it. I can't even picture him swimming, for that matter. His passion lies in the air.

I can't believe how quickly all of this happened. Just a few weeks ago he was so distant. I'm glad we started spending time together but I can't help but question how naïve I've been.

When exactly did I start liking him? He's always been there for me- I suppose I may have just taken that for granted in Hogwarts. I really fancied him from the 3rd year to the 5th. Heck- I only went out with Thomas so I wouldn't ruin my friendship with Oliver by falling head over heels. Awkward friendships are the worst. So now that I think about it, I guess I've always liked him. I know that Quidditch was (and still is) more important than anything, though, so I've never pushed anything.

When did Oliver start having feelings for me? I can't recall him ever flirting with me earlier than 3 weeks ago. Could I really just be another girl? Another fling?

No. I know he's not like that. I know he genuinely likes me. Even if I couldn't tell by myself at first, the magic rings never lie.

But seriously- how can he suddenly like me enough to not only take me on a cruise, but buy me a ring, too?! And especially so soon after a break-up. It doesn't make sense.

My thoughts lead in circles for what seems like ages. My eyes wander about and take in all the lush décor. An ornate clock rests against the wall to my left. 4:03?! Are you kidding me? He's been looking for me for over a half hour now! I think I win. Oh, I'm going to love shoving this in his face. Losing is particularly worse for him because he's so competitive. Where is he?

Just as I'm about to stand, I see a beam of bright light from outside flow into the theatre. I duck down quickly and listen.

A woman giggles lightly. A deep chuckle follows.

Oh no… I don't want to be stuck in here anymore. They couldn't possibly know I'm here- they think this place is empty.

"I never thought I would be here with the sexiest man in England." The voice is familiar…

"And I never thought I would meet someone like you. And here, of all places," a heavy Scottish accent replies.

What…? I peek between two seats and spot the pair. For some reason I just feel a stab at my heart and my stomach plummets to the ground.

It's Oliver. Oliver and Emily. And this whole time they've been wandering around together. Is this what took so long? What else could have taken 40 minutes?

My heart beats vigorously in my stomach and the feeling of nausea washes over me. This is bloody wonderful.

"Up there?" I hear Emily ask suggestively.

Oh, and now that they've found the perfect empty room, they plan to mess around. Anger boils inside of me. Without hesitation I pull out my wand and apparate to the stateroom, not even caring that they could hear the 'pop'.

I can feel my eyes get blurry.

Drip.

Why am I crying over this? I mean, it's not like we're even together. Technically he can do whatever he wants. We came as friends and I suppose that really is how he intended to keep it. And why shouldn't he have a random fling? He's too absorbed in Quidditch to have a relationship so what does it matter to him if he has a one night stand with some muggle he'll never have to see again?

But even with this reasoning, before I know it my eyes are drowning in tears.

Get a grip, Katie! How can you be upset? He took you on the vacation of a lifetime!

I absently play with the ring on my finger. Why would he even give me this bloody thing if he didn't mean it?! It's like a slap in the face! 'Hey, Katie. This ring is supposed to mean I love you but I don't. I just like to make you feel like a nice big heap of cow dung. So while you fall for me, I'm going to go mess around with my new fling!'

I try to vigorously rip it off but to no success. What does it even matter what everyone else thinks? So maybe four people won't believe we're married. So what!? WE'RE NOT!!! And what's better, you ask? One of the people who believes we're married is the one he's making love to right now!

This realization makes me furiously grab my wand and point it at the ring. I will not wear this thing if it's for nothing! I try every spell I know that could possibly work but nothing does. It's useless.

Why is it that every time I fall for someone, he finds another girl? This is the fifth time in my life that this has happened! Is there something wrong with me? What- am I ugly? Or stupid? Am I annoying or boring? I'd kind of like to know something like that so I can fix it!

I take a deep breath and march into the bathroom. My make-up is a mess now. Great.

I wash my face and make myself look presentable. I don't need people asking me why I have tears running down my face.

Once acceptable, I walk out of the stateroom and just in case, I go the direction opposite from where Oliver would come. I doubt he even knew it was me back there and even if he did, he would have no idea where I went. Besides, it's fine by me if I loop around the ship and go the long way to the elevators. Barely anyone passes through here- they're all enjoying themselves elsewhere. Honestly, a long hallway of nothing but doors isn't the attraction most like to see.

I just need some time to myself and I'll be fine. I'll be fine.

Really.

After wandering around for a while, I find myself at outside on one of the upper decks. The setting sun is what makes me sit down on a lawn chair. It's too beautiful a sight to pass up.

I realize now more than ever that I have strong feelings for Oliver. How could I not? He's been flirting with me non-stop. And who in their right mind can resist Oliver Wood? Especially me because all he had to do was make my old feelings for him resurface.

But I guess he really is just like every other guy when it comes to women. Reel them in just for the thrill and then move on.

My heart beats faster as I recall all the sweet things he's done for me lately. He made me soup when I was sick. He tended to my wounds when we fell yesterday. We had a tickle fight and played that cute game last night.

Ughh… and he kissed me. I can feel my cheeks redden. Hands-down the best kiss of my life. How sad is that? Out of all the intimate and passionate make-out sessions with my actual boyfriends, a single, innocent little kiss left me the most breathless. Never before have I actually connected like I did last night with Oliver.

And Merlin he was so sexy.

But I must have gotten some signals mixed up. Somehow. I don't understand why he would kiss me and then leave me the next day.

I hold up my hand to inspect the ring. Of course just to spite me the ring glitters brightly as if grinning at my misery. Thanks. Thank you, Oliver Wood for not only breaking my heart, but giving me this thing that will shove that fact in my face.

My feet dangle hopelessly as I lean back and just watch pink and orange clouds pass over me slowly.

* * *

My eyes open slowly and I stretch like a cat. I must have fallen asleep. The stars are twinkling brightly above me. The sun has completely set by now. I have no idea what time it is. The goose bumps on my arms indicate that it's been cold for quite some time. 

Cautiously, I sit up and stretch again. Well at least I feel a bit better.

That's a complete lie, by the way. But I'm going to go with it. I feel spectacular. Smashing. Marvelously alone. I need to stop being sarcastic when I'm upset.

I stand gingerly, testing my balance. It's weird- when you wake up and stand for the first time, your balance is completely thrown off and you become an easy target for the undulating ship. After the first minute or so, you get your sea-legs back and don't notice. I don't understand, but then again, I don't understand a lot of things. Like why Oliver is suddenly such a prat.

Shivering slightly, I make my way toward the sweet warmth that is the inside of the ship. I wander around inside for a while, refusing to go back to the stateroom. Sure, I really want a jacket or something warmer to wear, but Oliver knows that I'll go there eventually and therefore that is his best chance at finding me. He knows he has no chance of finding me amongst hundreds of other guests so of course he'll be waiting there.

Who am I kidding? He's probably there with Emily to keep him company. I bet they're nice and toasty, if you know what I mean. I'd rather freeze my butt off than walk in on them snogging or whatever else they may be doing.

As I wander aimlessly, my stomach howls angrily at me. I guess I was too upset to notice I was hungry earlier. All I've eaten today was breakfast and ice cream. I haven't eaten since 2:30.

I want a nice, hot bowl of soup. That should cheer me up a little bit. At least if I'm warm I won't be as grumpy.

Within 15 minutes I'm seated in a cozy little restaurant with a bowl of baked potato soup and a large mug of hot tea. I definitely feel better but as I look around and see nothing but couples walking about, my mood dims once more. Just what I need- to feel even more alone.

In an effort to make myself feel better, I turn in my seat to face the window. Something about the night sky is relaxing to me.

"Excuse me, Miss. Is this seat taken?"

Surprised out of my daze, I look up slightly alarmed. A man (I'm guessing he's in his mid-twenties) dressed in jeans and a nice buttoned down shirt is standing next to me. "Huh?" is my oh so articulate response.

He smiles warmly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Do you mind if I keep you company? You look lonely and I would be lonely as well sitting by myself. Why not be lonely together?"

Well, what the hay. He doesn't seem too bad and he does have a point. Besides, he is very cute. "Sure." I say and offer him a seat across from me.

"Name's Jesse," he says in an accent I can't place. He puts his tray of soup down and takes a seat.

"I'm Katie." Our eyes meet. Wow. Those are the most amazingly gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen!

"It looks like you're hiding out from the cold, too. I have no idea where this change of weather came from. It was beautiful all day and suddenly it's freezing."

"Maybe it's just because we're out at sea?" I offer. "It's a lot windier in the middle of nowhere."

"I think you're absolutely right. Woah, this is good soup."

"The baked potato isn't too bad either." For some reason I feel as if I've known him for years. I know I've never seen him before but he's just one of those people you instantly feel comfortable around. Normally it would be awkward sitting with a complete stranger.

"You know what's the best, though?" he asks. "That ice cream place right by the pools."

"That is the best ice cream I've had in my life!" We smile at each other in agreement. Well if Oliver wants to have a little fling, he can go ahead. This guy can be my friend. As long as I'm not alone like Oliver left me, I can enjoy myself.

"So, you're married?" Jesse asks indicating my ring.

"Oh. Well- not exactly."

"Well now I'm curious."

"A friend gave me this ring and it's the only finger it would fit on. But I've been wearing it for so long that it's pretty much just stuck on my finger." Ugh… great. That makes me sound fat.

He chuckles. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you." I finish the last of my soup and sip on my tea, delighting in how warm I feel now.

Jesse turns out to be a great guy. He tells me all about his day, somehow making me laugh a great deal. He's polite but has a sense of humor at the same time. I find it hard to believe that he's single. He tells me how his little sister's wedding is tomorrow. Needless to say, I was shocked to find that this ship actually has a little church on the very top deck. How smashing would it be to get married on a cruise? I've never heard of something so brilliant! Jesse laughs at my reaction.

We talk for nearly an hour. He really makes me feel better. Eventually, though, he sadly tells me that he has to get going. "I need to wake up pretty early- the wedding is at 1 so I have a lot of work to do in the morning." I nod in understanding. "Would you like me to walk you back to your room? It's pretty late and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm a big girl- I can take care of myself."

"Alright. Well…." he pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and locates an abandoned pen on a nearby table. "Here's my room number in case you need anything." He scribbles more on the paper but his hand blocks the writing. "I'd love to see you again sometime. You're welcome to come to the wedding tomorrow- just tell them you know me and you won't have any problems."

"I'll stop by if I get the chance." I assure him. "And I'll definitely see you some time or another."

We exchange good-byes and head our separate ways. Once I'm a good distance away, I pull out his note. '_You're like a long lost best friend. Please keep in touch, Katie_.' Underneath is what I assume is his room number. Below that is his telephone number.

I smile to myself. I like him. No- not romantically. But he really does seem like an awesome friend. I fold the paper carefully and place it in my pocket.

I'm not tired but it is late and the only things to do at this hour are going to comedy clubs or the casino or theatre or something. And honestly, those aren't things I'd enjoy on my own. I might as well just go back to the stateroom. I can't avoid Oliver forever.

I halt outside the room and take a deep breath to brace myself. Remember, Katie: he didn't technically do anything wrong so you can't be angry. Sure, it hurts, but you can't blame him for trying to have fun. It's not your place to be upset with him.

But my mental prepping is in vain. The room is dark and empty. Oh, great. He's not even here. Probably out with _dear_ Emily. Whatever. I try to ignore my stinging heart as I change into pajamas and climb into bed, facing the wall. I pretend to sleep, childishly hoping that if I think I'm asleep, I could actually fall asleep. Maybe then my chest wouldn't constrict so tightly…

I lose track of time as I fall into a long train of thought. But no matter what I think about, it always loops back around to my missing roomie.

After what seems like hours, I hear a fumbling outside. I cringe underneath the covers. The door opens and Oliver shuffles gloomily inside. He locks the door but doesn't make any attempt to turn on the lights. I hear him pound on the wall angrily. "You're a bleeding idiot, Oliver!" he says loudly. "You blew it! How could you have been so stupid? And of course she's never going to forgive you now."

He doesn't know I'm here, does he? I mean, its pitch black in here but I thought he would have noticed my shoes when he opened the door, at least.

"Your one, perfect chance to prove that you love her and you just have to go and be a git." He changes into his night clothes (they were sprawled out on his bed from earlier this morning) and falls back onto the mattress. "Bleeding idiot," he mutters depressingly.

The misery in his voice is what kills me. No matter how much he upset me earlier, I don't ever want him to be this gloomy if there's something I could do to help him.

"What's wrong, Ollie?" I ask, unmoving. I stare at the wall even though it's too dark to see.

For three long seconds, he's silent, likely surprised that he didn't notice me and embarrassed that I overheard him. "Katie?!" I hear him turn to face me.

"Who else would it be?"

And before I know it, I'm enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. It's not like I could turn to face him, even if I wanted to because it's so tight. His face is next to mine and his tantalizing scent washes over me. "Katie, I've been searching for you all day. I thought you had left. I had no idea where to look. I was so worried."

…. Huh?

"When you disapparated, my heart just stopped. I had no idea where you went. I couldn't find you…" his voice fades heartbreakingly.

But…. That makes no sense. He's been with Emily all day. They were about to take complete advantage of an empty theatre!

He nuzzles his face into my neck and whispers, "I'm sorry, Katie. It's not what you thought. I swear."

I can't help but immediately believe him. He has never sounded so sincere. My spine turns to jelly and I quiver underneath his warm breath against my neck. I can barely murmur back, "What about Emily?"

"We ran into each other and she offered to help me find you. She's a witch, Katie. She knew it was me right away. I had no idea Americans even heard about Puddlemere. Apparently we're popular there." He hugs me even closer. "She was mocking the 'Sexiest Bachelors of Quidditch' issue of American Witch. That's all it was, Katie- I promise you."

Suddenly it all makes sense and I feel like an idiot.

"Will you forgive me?" he pleads softly into my neckline.

Words can't even form in my mind. I numbly nod.

He sighs in relief. "I want you to know this because if I have to hold it back any longer I'll lose my bloody mind. I love you, Katie." He grazes the side of my neck with his lips and kisses me tenderly. "You're an angel, Katherine Bell, and I love you." The ring on my finger seems to squeeze me and the warmth of it nearly doubles. I blush as I realize how bright it's grown, too.

"Oliver…" but nothing else can come out.

"Shh… you don't have to say anything. Please stay with me. I never want to lose you again. Stay with me forever."

And that's how we fall asleep- his arms holding me closely and his face resting lightly upon mine.

* * *

You know the drill. 


	14. Cupkates

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

Let me begin by saying that I LOVE all of you that read and reviewed. I was ridiculously excited to see so many reviews. I was grinning the whole rest of the day. A few made me laugh particularly hard. THANK YOU!!!! And me being the genious that I am, I just now figured out that I can reply to you so I'm excited.

I feel I should warn you that I now go to school full time and work full time. That's why it took me a month to write this one. What free time I have is left to sleep and homework. I made this chappie extra long just to make up for it, though.

Please tell me what you think! I hope you like this one!

Oh... and I don't own the song. I just dance to it...

* * *

The first thing I'm conscious of in the morning is a pair of protective arms holding me against a very muscular chest. My heart swells at the wonderful feeling a wave of delight floods my senses. I can't believe I'm really here in Oliver's sweet embrace. A few days ago I could have never guessed this would happen. 

"Good morning, Cupkates." Oliver's deep voice greets me.

"How long have you been awake?" Color rushes to my face as I realize he could have been watching me.

"Just a few minutes. You've never looked so peaceful- there was no way I was going to wake you."

"Oh." Feeling embarrassed, I try to sit up but he refuses to loosen his grip.

"Just a little bit longer… please?"

Caving in to his adorable request (and the unfamiliar but more than welcome desire to keep physical contact), I turn around to face him.

"Hi."

"Hi," he grins back at me as he pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. "Did you sleep well?"

I nod. Actually, I've never slept so comfortably. A sense of safety flooded my dreams and kept my sleep world wonderfully content. "How about you?"

The way he gazes into my eyes makes me heart speed up uncontrollably. "I've been holding an angel all night." He says in that knee-weakening Scottish accent. "How could anything else hope to compare?"

"Oh, cut it out," I say teasingly, hoping he doesn't hear my racing heart. "You know you don't have to flatter me." That doesn't mean I don't like it when you do, though…

"I will flatter you as much as I damn well want, Cupkates. You're just going to have to deal with it."

I glare playfully. "What if I refuse to deal with it?" Oliver raises an eyebrow at this, clearly amused. "What if I make you stop?" As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize there's really not much I could do to stop him if the need arises.

"Just like yesterday's little tickling incident, huh? I wasn't too convinced then, either, to be honest." I pout; he knows me too well. "See," he explains, "Before anything, you have to find something against me. Something that will make me do whatever you want- which you don't have. For example," he moves closer to my face. "Last night I discovered that kissing your neck makes you susceptible to anything. It's your weak spot, Katie. You couldn't have stopped me even if you wanted to."

"That's not true!" I cry indignantly, but secretly squealing inside knowing that he's absolutely right. I mean, I wouldn't want him to use it against me but there's no way I would stop him. How could he have been so perceptive?

"Really now?" He leans in and grazes the side of my neck with his perfect lips just like last night, sending innumerable shivers down my spine. "Are you sure about that?"

I remain silent trying to keep my composure so he proceeds to lay sweet kisses against my skin. I try my hardest not to succumb to him. Half of me wants to giggle at the tickling; the other half suddenly desperately wanting to kiss him back to make him feel the same torturous pleasure.

"Ok! Ok!" I finally cave in, hoping he'll stop on his own so it's not too blatantly obvious that I can't push him away. Thankfully he obliges to my secret pleading. "But it's not fair to use that against me."

"So you don't like me kissing you?" He lets go of me and turns to face the other wall. Distraught by the sudden turn of events and now wanting his arms around me more than ever, I sit up, turn his face back to me and kiss him full on the lips. Both of us are surprised by my sudden action; his eyes widen in shock but the second he registers what's going on, he returns the kiss passionately.

Of course I'd always wanted this to happen in Hogwarts but after we graduated, I lost the hope of ever feeling his lips on mine. I still can't quite register my impulsive movement; I had no idea what I was doing until it was too late. I mean, I'm never so straightforward unless I've been dating the bloke for a week at least- and Oliver and I aren't even dating! But saying I regret kissing Oliver would be the furthest from the truth you could get.

He tastes like fresh mint- a delightful surprise from the expected morning breath most people have. His lips are smoother than I imagined and the kiss is a combination of tender intensity- something I only thought possible in romance novels.

Unable to hold my breath any longer, I try to pull away. Oliver notices but instead of letting me go, he places his hand behind my head and pulls in me for a knee-weakening finale. Finally satisfied, he releases me; I nearly collapse on the bed from the intensity of it all.

Merlin!! He is a GREAT kisser!

I close my eyes contentedly and try to fill my lungs with an ample amount of oxygen once again, all the while trying to grasp the euphoria of what just happened.

Oliver pants for a moment or two and turns on his side to look at me. A grin rivaling the Cheshire Cat himself is plastered on his face. "Well- if I knew that kissing your neck would make you jump on me like that, I would have done it years ago."

Of course a deep blush rushes to my face, making me inwardly groan in irritation- why do I have to blush so bloody much?!

Oliver leans in to kiss me on the cheek, likely to say 'don't be embarrassed'.

"So…" I begin, trying to keep my voice from cracking. "What does this mean?"

"What do you want it to mean?"

Well, honestly I don't know. I really like Oliver- I have for nearly ten years. I'm just not sure if this is the right thing to do. It doesn't matter how much we like each other because the fact of the matter is that he still has Quidditch. He'll be gone for months at a time. I could handle not seeing Harold often because even though I may have loved him, I wasn't attached. My subconscious knew that and so I didn't feel the need to see him every day. With Oliver it's different. I feel so happy and giddy around him that any time away seems wrong.

Not to mention that with my newly freed weekends I will have to find something to distract myself while Oliver is gone. It's just such a different kind of relationship and I don't know if either of us could handle it. He said it himself- Quidditch always comes first. Always. It's his LIFE!! I wouldn't ask him to change that; everyone has their passions and if you want to get in the way of it, you really aren't meant to be together. But I just don't know if I can deal with it. Plus I'd worry constantly about him because I'm paranoid. What if he gets injured? What about the millions of lunatic fan girls chasing after him? Will he remain faithful? I can't deal with someone else cheating on me. It's happened with every other guy I've dated so far. I know Oliver isn't like that but who's to say he doesn't have weak moments, too? And after being cheated on so many times, one could never be too cautious.

I know he's never been anything but completely sincere with me. I want to trust him. I really do… but if he breaks my heart too, I don't know what I'd do with myself. I don't want to loose my best friend- that would kill me more than anything. He's been my strength for so long (with the exception of the two years after Hogwarts). He's the one that always told me to keep moving forward. So if something happens, I'm not sure I could make it.

Merlin… how can this be so difficult? I've wanted to date him for such a bloody long time and now that the chance is here, I question it?

"I don't know." I finally say after a long silence and turn my head to look at the wall.

"Katie, if you want to wait, that's fine. I'm not going to rush anything, alright?" He tenderly turns my head to face him once more. "You don't have to worry about any of it," he says, as it he knows exactly what I'm thinking of. "Quidditch life doesn't force itself on me. I'm the one that pursued it so relentlessly. I couldn't stand the idea of getting attached to a witch who's likely only in it for my money and fame. Plus it drove me crazy to know that you were dating that git because I knew no one would respect you as much as I do. I drained everything- all my anger, frustration, fear, love… everything into Quidditch." He can't be making this up- his voice is choked with too much emotion. "How could any player have relationships if it took that much time out of their lives? Four on my team alone are married, Katie. They have kids and everything. Quidditch isn't as consuming as I make it seem."

I must admit- I've never thought about that.

"And I promise that I won't ever hurt you. I swear it, Katie. You mean the world to me."

I know he would never want to hurt me. I feel the same way. But there are things we simply can't control. People get in fights. Their feelings change. They fall out of love. There are millions of things that could go wrong. People may never want to hurt their loved one, but it happens. That's reality. Some people get the fairy tale ending but most don't.

He gazes deeply into my eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend, Katie?"

But you know what? Even if this won't have that fairy tale ending and Oliver really isn't my soul mate or whatever, what's life if you don't get over your fears to live it? I know I'd regret saying no.

Merlin… I'd regret it so much.

I lean in and kiss him on the lips softly to show him my answer. He grins again and yanks me into a monstrous hug. "You just made my wish come true. You're amazing, Katherine Bell." The ring on my finger pulses like a heartbeat reminding me how much I care for him.

"I hate that name." I pout. I would cross my arms to make the mope more complete, but he has a death grip around me.

"Is Cupkates better?" I nod, for lack of anything better to do. "Good." Oliver releases me and stands. "Well then, I suppose we should start getting ready for the day."

After showering and getting ready, we head to the dining room. The whole elevator ride consisted of Oliver coming up with every version of a nickname related to 'Katie' as possible. There was Kates, Cupkates, KB, Katie Poo (yeah… I didn't like that one either), Katie Lady (ick...), Katie Baby, Katsie, Katie Muffin and, of course, the infamous Katie Pie. Don't even get me started on the list of generic lovey-dovey names. Let's just say it was a long elevator ride. Once the doors opened I was overwhelmed with joy to be able to get away from my ridiculously giddy boyfriend but he grabbed my hand tightly before I could escape. "Not so fast, Hunny Bunny." He laughed. "There's more. Let's see- Babes, Cutie, Cuteums, Sugar-" I tried to focus on not strangling myself more than anything.

Of course I think it's adorable that he's so excited. Hell- I am too. To be honest, I'm just as giddy as he is. There's the whole butterfly in the tummy thing going on again and I have the near-uncontrollable urge to just giggle at everything.

Karen, John and Emily seem to have just sat down at our table, as they're still perusing the menu. Emily happens to look up and our eyes meet. She jumps out of her seat and rushes over. "Katie! Listen- it's not what you thought it was. I was just so happy to find someone to hang out with. I wasn't trying to take him away from you and-"

"It's alright," I cut her off before she pours her heart out to me. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"So we're cool?"

I smile, "Yeah." She finally spots us holding hands and her hand flies to cover her mouth, likely to keep herself from squealing. Her sister and brother-in-law still think we're married, after all.

"It's about time," Emily whispers and turns to take her seat.

One wonderful breakfast and two full tummies later we find ourselves roaming the ship. Oliver has barely let go of my hand since the elevator ride. When he's not holding my hand, his arm is around my shoulder.

I'm not used to this- in Hogwarts the boys were too shy and worried about their image to do anything affectionate and Harold simply wasn't around enough. But Oliver is the opposite. He's not ashamed. In fact, he's downright overjoyed. And I'm not going to lie- I love the emotions he makes me feel.

As we wander about, a random man walks up to us. "Oh, what a lovely couple!" I can see Oliver nod in agreement out of the corner of my eye. "You wouldn't care to try a free dance lesson, would you?"

"I can't dance…" I begin.

"No problem. That's what I'm here for, after all! I won't keep you for too long." He walks into a room nearby so we follow.

An hour later we emerge from the dance room. I never thought it was possible to learn so many dance moves and postures and whatnot in such a short amount of time. Now I'm left with the biggest urge to dance.

Since its Oliver's turn to choose what activity to do next, he opts to go check out the exercise room again. Of course I had already promised him to explain all the muggle machines to him so he dragged me to the Fitness Center like a 10-year-old who's been promised candy.

We spend an hour and a half messing around with various muggle dumbbells, bench presses, weights, pulleys, and innumerable other things that I didn't care to learn the name of. I like working out the magical way. Running and flying laps are much better in my opinion.

I can't even begin to describe how sexy he looks, though. He has the perfect amount of muscle; not overwhelming, but not wimpy in the least. I nearly swooned when he took his shirt off. And just my luck- he caught me staring. To complete my embarrassment, he flexed his muscles and wriggled his eyebrows at me. Needless to say, I turned a lovely shade of crimson and had to leave the room to get some air.

He's finally satisfied with working out for now so we're wandering about again.

And you know what? I still have the uncontrollable need to dance. Maybe I'm just still giddy because of Oliver.

I gasp in realization. "OLIVER!!"

I can feel him jump slightly next to me. "What's wrong?"

"I COMPLETELY forgot about him! What time is it?" I look about frantically for a clock. It's already 2:15! Oh, Merlin… "Come on! We're late!"

"Him? Who, Katie?" he asks seriously.

"Oh, it's not like that." I explain grabbing his hand. "I met a man named Jesse last night while I was eating dinner. He kept me company. Seriously, don't worry. He's like the big brother I never had. Actually Emily might be interested in him. We should try to find her on the way."

"Did he flirt with you?"

"No."

"Did he imply anything?"

"No."

"Did he touch you?"

"No, Oliver."

He looks me over for a second longer and is finally satisfied. "Alright."

"Good. Now come on!!" We nearly run all the way back to the stateroom and by some unexplainable bout of luck, we run into Emily on the elevator. I manage to convince her to meet us at the ballroom in an hour. Don't ask me how.

Once we open the stateroom door, I shove Oliver in the bathroom claiming that if he's not out in 15 minutes, I will never show him muggle fitness equipment again. He nods and locks the door behind him. Fourteen minutes pass before he emerges dripping wet in nothing but a towel.

"OLIVER!" I squeal, trying desperately to close my eyes but failing miserably.

"You can't blame me for this, Cupkates," he replies grinning at my reaction. He seems to be doing that a lot lately. "You're the one that shoved me in there with no fresh clothes."

"You are ridiculous!" I squeak and run into the bathroom. An explanation as to how exactly it's his fault evades me. In fact, pretty much everything else does, too. All I can focus on is one perfect Oliver with damp hair astray and droplets sliding down a very toned chest. I nearly fall into the shower- half because it's so wet and half because I simply can't get him out of my head long enough to focus.

And to my horror, I realize that I'm in the same predicament as he was not 20 minutes ago. In my embarrassment, I forgot my own change of clothes.

I inwardly groan as I realize that he must be completely aware of my situation and is happily waiting for me to come out as red as a tomato. As I wrap a towel tightly around myself, I take a deep breath and open the door. But instead of finding Oliver laughing at me, there's only a note on the bed.

_I've gone out. I will be back around the time you should be done getting dressed._

_Love always, Oliver_

Well that was nice of him. He actually spared me the humiliation and made my heart skip several beats at the same time.

I quickly find a cute knee-length halter top dress and matching heels. Normally I fix my hair myself, but time is not on my side so I make due with a spell. It curls itself neatly and big, bouncy locks dangle around my shoulders.

Oliver walks in as I'm finishing up my mascara. He wraps his arms around me before I can turn around and smiles at me through the mirror. "You're beautiful, Cupkates. Beautiful as always."

In tan slacks and a nice button down shirt, he looks amazing, too.

No. Really… if he weren't holding me up right now, I'd likely swoon. Is he really my boyfriend? It just seems waaayyyy too good to be true.

"Where did you go?" I ask, facing him and kissing him playfully on the lips.

"All in good time, my dear. Shall we go?"

"Yeah!" I exclaim as a wave of excitement washes through me. I get to see my big brother! Of course he's not really my brother, but that's just what I'm going to call him. And I get to show off my newly acquired dancing skills!

Who cares how dorky I sound? Who in their right mind wouldn't be grinning from ear to ear? On top of everything, I'm here- on a CRUISE!- with my astonishingly sexy boyfriend having the time of my life.

Yeah. I think I have a good reason to be excited.

* * *

For the past hour Katie has been dancing non-stop. Don't get me wrong- I think it's adorable that she's so excited and happy but she won't even stop for a break! I finally manage to pull her off the dance floor. 

"But we're going right back after you get a drink, right?"

"Yes, Cupkates. I promise we will go right back. Just let me get a drink, ok?"

"Fineee…" she pouts.

Merlin- she's even adorable when she's pouting.

"Two Heinekens, please," I ask the bartender as I hand him my charge card. The reception may be open bar but they need to check age to make sure there are no underage drinkers. This man looks familiar from somewhere…

"Hello there, lad!"

"Mikey!" It's the bloke from the rock wall. "How's it going?"

"Not bad. Not bad. Here ya go!"

"Thanks." I don't know why, but I'm just in the mood for beer. It seems like a great night to celebrate, anyway; I'm finally dating the woman of my dreams. That's the best reason anyone could have.

I hand one to Katie; she looks at me questioningly for a moment but shrugs and takes a swig. I sip at my own bottle lightly and delight in the way it runs down my throat.

"I've never had this stuff before." She takes another gulp. "I like it." The silly way she grins at me makes me wonder if she's ever had alcohol.

"So you're willing to take a break for a few minutes?" I question hopefully. The opportunity to be so close to Katie is admittedly very hard to pass up, but my legs are killing me.

Katie drinks the last of her beer and puts the bottle back on the bar. Alright- either she wants to get drunk quickly or she really hasn't consumed alcohol and has no idea how to pace herself. If the latter is the case, then I'm going to be dealing with a particularly wasted Katie; she's light-weight and has barely eaten today. If this is her first time on top of that, she could be drunk by the time she's done with her next beer.

Katie plops down on a bar stool and swings around merrily. After three revolutions a new song blares over the speakers. Katie's head jerks up unexpectedly and her wide eyes meet my confused ones and she gasps loudly.

"This is something new- the Casper Slide part two-"

"I LOVE THIS BLOODY SONG!!" Katie screams at me and before I know what happened, I'm somehow in the middle of the dance floor again. Katie is grinning maniacally while I have no idea what to do. I've never heard this song in my life. I try to escape but she grabs my wrist, "No. It's easy. You have to do it!"

"Katie, I'd rather sit this one out."

"Pleaseeeee…." She begs.

"Come on everybody clap your hands!" The crowd complies and a wave of applause reverberates through the room.

I try to turn around but there are people on all sides of me blocking my path to freedom. With a defeated sigh, I give in and decide to make Katie happy. But after this song I'm really going to sit down.

Though the DJ explains the moves, I can only awkwardly move about.

"To the left!" Alright- this is easy.

"Take it back now y'all!" Woah! People moving into me…

The moves seem ridiculously simple but for some reason I'm confused. Hey- at least I'm not the only one. Only about half the people here know what they're doing.

Hold on… they're all turning around. What the-

As long as I copy Katie, it should be alright. I manage the next several moves well enough and finally get into it. WAIT! What's with the criss-crossing?

What the bloody hell are they doing? I am not 'bringing it to the floor'. Merlin- Katie does look really sexy, though… If only she weren't giggling at how stupid I look…

Charlie Brown? That little bald kid? For crying out loud… what is this?

Finally the song ends so I exasperatedly make my way to a table with Katie in tow.

My throat begs for another drink so I tell my beloved that I'll be right back.

"Another two Heinekens, I guess." I ask Mikey.

"Sure thing, lad."

I have a feeling that this really is her first time drinking and if that's the case, I'm curious to see what she's going to do.

I remember the first time I got drunk. It was my fifth year at Hogwarts. The twins had smuggled Firewhiskey into the common room to celebrate us winning a Quidditch game. They charmed all the outside surrounding hallways so that any professor passing by would suddenly remember something that needed immediate attention. I think they just somehow copied the muggle-repellent spells with their own tweaks.

Of course there was a huge all-night-long party with nearly the entire Gryffindor house (excluding Percy who conveniently forgot where the common room even was). It was brilliant and you couldn't see a single frown in the mass of Gryffindors.

Naturally Fred and George had to have a contest of ridiculous dares. They had made up a list of 500 dares the previous year (don't ask me where they found the time or the devotion to finish it) and Fred wanted to finally put it to use. He proclaimed to everyone that the cost of the alcohol was free- but they had to choose a number on the list of dares and complete it. Any who refused would be fair game to prank later on.

The pandemonium that ensued was priceless. Nearly 100 Gryffindors had to do some kind of crazy dare before the first morning classes. Sure, there were juvenile challenges such as kissing the person next to you, tickling someone until they cried, doing drunken headstands, or letting everyone see the contents of your trunk.

Other more difficult dares consisted of sneaking out of the common room and bringing back various things (such as a pie from the kitchens, as was Katie's task), flying out to the Forbidden Forest and bringing back a Purple Rose that only grows about a kilometer in (Harry, Hermione, and Ron went together for safety reasons), doing three laps around the pitch in nothing but a cloak (Angelina's lips were blue when she came back inside), and trying to convince Peeves to kiss Moaning Myrtle. Alicia failed but got an O for the effort.

I think I got the worst dare of them all. I was forced to take Veritaserum and had to endure ten full minutes of questioning. Never in my life have I been so mortified. They got everything out of me from how many tests I failed that year to how much I really think about Quidditch. I had to reveal all of the girls I liked up until the current one (that question was thankfully forbidden due to Guy Code # 4 and thus both Katie's and my life were spared from humiliation) and all of the things that annoyed me (the twins planned a particularly torturous month for me soon after). That was the first five minutes. I placed a memory charm on myself over the rest of that hell so I have no idea what else they asked.

Anyway… Katie only had one shot of Firewhiskey then so she wasn't really drunk. I wonder what she's like when nothing is holding her back from being herself. I know she's not fake or anything, but people are very different when they're unrestrained.

Katie fiddles with her second beer and I watch as she downs it in three huge gulps.

"Are you sure you want to drink tonight, Kates?"

"Yup!" she grins goofily at me.

"Look- I'm going to go to the Men's Room. Are you going to be ok by yourself?"

"Yup!"

"I'll be right back then." With a kiss on the cheek, I head out.

When I finally find her again, Jesse is sitting with her and both of them are giggling like fools. Upon closer inspection, I realize that four empty shot glasses and five full ones litter the table. Oh, Merlin… she's had two shots.

"OLLIE!!!" Katie cries as she sees me. I take my seat and say hello to Jesse. "Listen," Katie begins. "We just had two shots each. Right?" she looks at Jesse to confirm this and when he does she continues. "So we saved you two shots so you can catch us with up. Right? Cool. So then we ordered this many more," she holds up three fingers, "and we waited for you to come so we can all toast such a magficifent night. Right? Right. Let's go."

Jesse holds his shot glass up, "To a great marriage for my sister!"

Katie repeats his gesture, "To living life to the fullest!"

"To having a vacation!" I toast and we all down the liquid simultaneously.

Just as I place my glass down, two more are held up in front of my face. I suppose Katie's right. We have nothing to worry about tonight. Finding our cabin will be the only issue and I'm sure we can handle that well enough.

We sit and drunkenly converse for the next twenty minutes until we can't bear sitting around anymore.

Jesse bids us farewell, saying something about meeting Emily in an hour.

The time is now 5:30 and the ship will be docking at 7. I'm not going to lie- I'm excited. I've never done things the muggle way. Sure- I've traveled all over the place via broom or apparition or Floo Network but this is more thrilling for some reason. I can't wait to go ashore and see Katie's face light up.

Merlin- she makes everything worth it and so much more.

Katie unexpectedly grabs my hand and proclaims that she wants to dance. I agree completely not only because I need to move around, but seeing her shake her body without holding back is impossible to pass up. She has no idea how gorgeous she is and even if I told her every moment of every day she still couldn't grasp the idea of how much I love her.

We dance for the next half hour until finally the last song comes on. This one is slow. Katie wraps her arms around my neck as I hold her close to me. Even if this single moment is the solitary fruit of the years of waiting for her, it was worth every painful second.

The rest of the world is lost to us and all I see is her gorgeous eyes. The two seas of color envelop me. I lean in to kiss her and tangle my hand in her soft hair. "I love you, Kaite Bell. I love you more than you could ever know."

* * *

I've decided that the end is possibly near. This is already up to 93 pages (my record, thanks to all of your encouragement). I have a LOT of ideas for new stories that I would love to start writing but I've refused because then this will be left unfinished. That's some dedication I had no idea I even possessed. Any suggestions? Let me know what you think about the chappie! 

Mucho love!


	15. Thessaloniki

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

I absolutely love you guys! I dedicate this to all of my reviewers because you give me the dedication to keep writing. Thank you so much for the reviews and making me laugh so hard! I couldn't wipe the stupid grin from my face. Haha. I was infinately excited. I've been working on this chappy for quite some time now and I finally deem it post-worthy. Well- there's more I could do but it's already been a month... so here you are! I do think I should warn you, though. This ff is rated T for a reason. That's all I have to say without giving spoilers...

* * *

"Attention all passengers!" a female voice comes over the intercom. "We will be docking in thirty minutes. You may exit the ship through the main lobby. The temperature in Thessaloniki is 18 degrees Celsius and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. We will remain in Thessaloniki until 10pm tomorrow evening. You may travel and explore as you please, but we kindly ask you to be back by 8:30pm, as the security checkpoint takes time to pass through. Do not forget your passports and identification. Please keep them with you at all times, along with your boarding pass. Please enjoy yourselves and have a great evening!"

Oliver glances at me and grabs my arm before I can drunkenly run to the lobby. Understanding my silent question, he explains, "You know everyone is going to be racing there- there's going to be a huge line. Let's just wait until it calms down. We can just stay out later. Deal?"

I suppose that's a good point. "Deal." I exclaim shaking his hand and giggling. "Let's explore the ship!"

Merlin... perhaps I shouldn't have drank so much. I'm convinced that three or four beers could get me sufficiently drunk because of my lack of alcohol tolerance so why I decided to have a grand total of six shots and three beers is beyond me. Or was it four? Anyway- I'm fully aware that I'm stumbling around the halls and giggling stupidly but I can't think of a single reason why I shouldn't be so happy. I happen to be having a great time, despite my balance and occasional slurring issues.

I stumble forward suddenly, my foot catching on something but Oliver lunges at my arm and holds it securely. He's only had two beers and four shots... I think. So he probably only has a buzz. Or maybe he's drunk.

No. He's not drunk. Definitely a buzz, though.

Maybe.

He holds me close as we wander aimlessly, just enjoying each other's company. Somehow we end up on the top deck sitting where Oliver first kissed me. This is definitely my favoritest spot on the ship. There, on two joined lounge chairs, we lay in comfortable silence staring up at the endless night sky and the approaching town of Thessaloniki.

The moment I set foot off the ship I can feel a vast difference wash over me. Of course there's the fact that I've just spent the last three days on an ever-undulating boat so feeling firm ground underneath my legs surprises me. The life that flows through Thessaloniki hits me immediately. A cobblestone walkway almost metaphorically transports me into a completely different world. The crisp air has never felt so refreshing and a light breeze plays with my hair while a unique smell of fish and the sea combined with an unmistakable aroma of foreign food fills my senses.

We opt to walk to the heart of the town instead of taking the trolley. How could they expect you to get a true feel of what this culture is like if you're being chauffered to the planned sites they want you to see? Exactly. You just can't.

By now I'm only tipsy- a lot of the alcohol has worn off but the buzz that still flows through me only serves to excite me more. Oliver holds onto my arm to brace my unsure steps. Hey- I'm not complaining about his proximity. He rubs small circles into my back to relax me.

This man is absolutely amazingly sweet. Hands down.

...Or is it hands up? I fight the urge to throw my arms upward.

Buildings and houses hug the pathways tightly, leaving us with narrow lanes to maneuver around in. Normally the streets would be crowded but most of the villagers are in town celebrating the night life. And as far as our fellow ship-mates are concerned, they've all taken advantage of the trolley. Lazy tourists. Oliver holds me close to his body as we walk at a comfortably slow pace. We have no curfew or anything so why rush this experience?

The cool night air feels marvelously refreshing and in a way reminds me of London. Actually, if you think about it, a description of this place could easily match countless others around the world- but each locale has its own unique factor; this one's being the amazing, irreproducible aroma that keeps taunting my empty tummy and making me eager to find the cuisines these Greeks are so famed for.

Once actually in the town, we find a large square surrounded by shops and businesses and other such facades. A cute little restaurant on the side of this square has about a dozen tables set with white table cloths and a different kind of flower on every surface. I've always seen pictures of restaurants like these but never imagined how appealing they are in real life.

Oliver, knowing me all too well, bee-lines toward the _Platanos._ I try to contain my excitement but fail miserably and give up on trying to hide my grin. Experiences on the cruise ship are only half my dream. The other half is exploring the completely different world. What better way is there besides getting authentic Greek fare as opposed to the tourist-friendly food in the heart of the town?

In no time we're seated and we order two random things that don't sound excessively questionable. Our waiter, an older man with not a hair on his head, speaks only a few words in English but understands half of what we say. He insists on giving us some kind of drink that I can't even hope to pronounce and somehow without even talking, successfully informs us that our food will be out shortly. The beverages he left us look like liquor. The odor of it only confirms my suspicions. He brought water, just in case we decline the house alcohol.

Oliver and I talk about everything from our trip so far to our childhood to our future aspirations. Dinner was surprisingly exquisite, despite my initial reaction to our food. It's everything I'd expected and more.

Regardless of my internal warnings, I reach for the liquor and sip at it delicately. I nearly spit out the stuff but the taste still lingers in every crevasse of my mouth. My throat burns and not two seconds later my stomach feels like its aflame. Why I had to be so stupid as to drink MORE alcohol when I'm already sufficiently tipsy enough and just getting over my drunken state is beyond me.

"Are you ok, Katie?" Oliver questions worriedly and reaches over to rub my back soothingly. My stomach is literally ignited. Like... if I look down, I'm positive I'll see smoke coming through my tank top and light jacket.

"It's strong." I manage to whisper. "Merlin- I am never drinking liquor again."

"You know you can dull the negative effects, if you wish." A man from behind me answers.

No way...

There is no possible way...

Oliver looks up with a baffled expression.

"Of course, she probably doesn't know the spell." Another voice claims.

"That is very likely, dear brother."

That sounds like-

I turn around and jump on the twins, giving them a huge bear hug but instantly regret it. I fall back into my seat dizzily and repress the urge to vomit. "What the bloody hell are you two doing in Greece?!" I ask Fred and George once I take a sip of water.

"We were simply passing through-"

"-and recalled Oliver mentioning a cruise to Greece-"

"-so we thought 'why not look for the lovely Katherine Bell and the infamous Oliver Wood?'-"

"-so here we are!"

"Bloody hell..." Oliver mutters and buries his face in his hands.

George, clearly sensing Oliver's distress takes a seat next to him and pats him on the back. "What's wrong, mate? Aren't you just thrilled to see us?"

Fred takes the seat opposite his brother. He grabs Oliver's arms and pulls them away, forcing the Scot to look up at him. "Peek-a-boo!" Fred cries.

"There he is!" George exclaims.

Oliver looks back and forth between them, then down at his steak knife, likely imagining running it through them.

"How did you find us?" I ask, trying to distract them from tormenting Oliver.

"That, my dear Katie Pie, is classified."

"No. Answer the question." Oliver says calmly. I know he's close friends with the twins, but it's obvious that he wanted to spend the whole ten days alone with me. This is a vacation, after all. And to be honest- it's simply not possible to place 'Fred and George' in the same sentence as 'vacation'. It's like fish trying to walk on land. It just doesn't exactly work out.

"It's classified information, Ollie-poo." George says defiantly.

"I swear I will jinx you back to England if you don't tell me how you found us." Oliver says, his hand moving toward the wand in his pocket.

The twins exchange a meaningful look and glance at me. Finally Fred leans over to whisper their secret in Oliver's ear. His eyes widen and his face turns a shade of red that rivals the color of the rose on our table. I can't help but shrink back slightly. I haven't seen him this angry since Quidditch practice. "ARE YOU TWO BLEEDING SERIOUS?!" he roars.

Thankfully the restaurant's patrons are dining inside and do not hear his outburst.

"It's actually a nice side effect, if you think about it. The possibilities are endless, here!" George says.

Oliver seems to change his mind about hexing and instead decides to reach for the steak knife. I suppose his first impulse to kill them seems more appealing now.

Fred glares at George and tries to reason with Oliver. "Calm down, mate! We're working on it. It's not dangerous, we swear. We're the only ones that know about it and the product isn't even on the shelves yet so there is no need to worry. We're still working on fixing some things. This is one such thing." Fred seems satisfied with his explanation and thinks Oliver is as well. But apparently this isn't the answer Oliver was looking for.

"YOU WEREN'T EVEN DONE TESTING IT AND YOU USED IT ON HER?" His fingers grip the knife so hard that his knuckles turn white.

"What's wrong? Used what on whom?" I finally ask, my curiosity threatening to kill me.

The twins look at each other again for a few moments. I swear they're communicating telepathically when they do that. It would explain how they're able to finish each other's sentences so seamlessly. Fred then turns to look at me and opens his mouth hesitantly, clearly hesitant for some reason. He promptly shuts his mouth again and looks back at George in a panic. "Shall we move on to Plan C, dear brother?"

"What were plans A and B?" I ask. I hate secrets. Seriously.

"Please excuse us for a moment," George finally says, apparently sparing his brother from whatever it is he was going to tell me. They move to the opposite side of the square and converse animatedly.

"What's going on, Oliver? Are you ok? Put the knife down, please."

"I'm going to kill them." He says more to himself than to me. "I am going to simply stick this in their guts and be done with them." He whispers as he stares at the knife and begins to make stabbing motions.

Realizing that he's hopeless at this point to reason with, I look over at the twins who are staring at Oliver's said stabbing motions with enormously wide eyes. Fred slips out of his stupor and yells something at George while pointing at me. George argues back.

WHAT IS GOING ON?!

I wait as patiently as I can manage but ten minutes pass with no resolution. Oliver, apparently sick of staring at them waiting for their return, goes over to join them and soon his shouts are added to the din.

Well apparently I'm not allowed to know what's going on. Why I'm excluded is beyond me but the more I wait, the more irritated I become. Another ten minutes pass and I finally stand, sick of waiting for some secret that I won't even be told. This is ridiculous!

I stand up and throw the napkin that was resting on my skirt onto the table. They don't even notice as I move down an alley close by. I'm not going to waste my time in Greece waiting for them to sort out some matter they can't tell me. I know the twins have secrets galore but they usually tend to let me in on a lot of them. But for Oliver to ignore my constant questioning and then seeing him get up to talk to them without so much as a single word to me? I really had thought him more of a gentleman. Or at least not a prat.

I've changed my mind- Oliver is now reclassified to my 'Prat' list. You don't just ignore your girlfriend for so long (or at all, for that matter) and you especially don't leave without a word to ignore her more!

Honestly. I may love the three of them but they really are absolutely insufferable sometimes.

"Katie? What are you doing here all alone?" I whirl around and see Jesse running to catch up with me.

"I could ask you the same question." I say.

He holds up a camera. "I forgot it on the ship. My sister wouldn't stop pestering me about it so I just went back to get it. Then I just barely missed the tram on the way back to town. So here I am."

I smile at him. His hair is all over the place from running across half the town. "Where's Emily? I thought you were supposed to be on a date with her?"

"Oh, yes. Well it turns out that her sister, Karen, used to be close friends with my sister. So the three women and two husbands are at a nice little night club in the town center." We start walking towards the club together. "But you never answered my question. Why are you out here on your own? It's really not very safe. Where's Oliver?"

"Oliver is actually being a prick right now so I've decided to explore this place on my own."

"Do you need me to beat- I mean talk some sense into him?"

I smile but decline his offer to 'talk' to Oliver.

"Well would you like to come with me back to the club? I don't like the idea of you wandering around all alone late at night in the middle of a foreign city."

"Nah- I don't want to intrude or anything. Besides, I'm still a little tipsy and dizzy from the party earlier. I don't think going to a club is going to be the best thing for me." What I need is a nice long walk in the cool night to wash away both my tipsiness and my disappointment at being treated like I was.

"Then I'll drop off the camera and walk with you. I refuse to let you go about unaccompanied- especially if you're still tipsy." He looks at me, informing me that he will not be deterred from his decision.

"Fine... I'll go to the club thing. At least I can get a bottle of water there." There's no way I'm going to be held responsible for him missing out on his sister's non-stop wedding partying. And his date for that matter. I refuse to be a catalyst for trouble.

He leads the way through the incredibly beautiful town and glares down all the men that check me out. "Jesse, they're not going to do anything and it's not like I can't take care of myself." I try to reason. It's sweet that he's protective but in the same breath it makes me feel like a damsel in distress. And I assure you- I am NOT a damsel in distress.

"You shouldn't be so trusting, Katie. You never know what men are thinking and you can never tell which one could actually act on those thoughts. I'll be the first to tell you that men are pigs."

I raise my eyebrow at him. "All men?" I question playfully.

"Well, all except for me. I'm perfect." He says playfully.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure you are." I chuckle.

"Here it is!" Jesse points at a building with neon lights galore and a huge sign I assume says the name of the club but since it's in Greek, I can't exactly read it.

The instant we step through the doors a wave of claustrophobia overcomes me. This is a club in a small fishing town. There can't be more than 50 natives that come here on a normal night so of course the place is small to begin with. But with an entire cruise ship's guests currently roaming the town, I'm sure at least half would stop here for some kind of entertainment.

Jesse holds my arm and pulls me close to him so we can maneuver through the mass of dancers. After what seems like ages, Jesse locates our prey sitting at a small table on the second level. They grin and wave when they see us but I fail to find the same enthusiasm. I assume they're thoroughly drunk. There's no way they could be enjoying this otherwise. Seriously... even if you're standing perfectly still it's impossible not to be touching someone else. It's that packed.

We crowd around the table and talk (well... we shout above the music more than anything else) but before long, they decide to go dance.

Yeah- _dance._ They want to dance in this sea of drunken clubbers. I hardly thought Karen would be up for this sort of thing. I thought she confined herself to ballroom dancing but I couldn't have been more wrong. She and John are the first to dash into the crowd. Jesse's sister and husband follow seconds later, leaving Jesse and Emily to try to convince me to join them. Like hell I will! Not only do I want to leave so they can have a chance to enjoy their date, but I have to get out of here before I throw up my alcohol-ridden stomach.

Truth be told, any other time I would gladly stay to party with them but my body simply can't take any flashing lights or loud music or countless sweaty people packed together.

I tell them that I'm 'desperately parched' and that I need a bottle of water before I even consider braving the dangers of being felt up in the sea of pervs. Emily seems to accept my answer and pulls Jesse towards the dance floor. He gives me a meaningful look as if to say 'you better not go off on your own' and finally gives in, leaving with Emily.

Ok. Cause I'm going to torture myself by staying in this smelly, seizure-inducing fire hazard.

Not so much. I plan on getting my precious water and hightailing it out of here.

I give the bartender my Greek money that we had converted back in the lobby and turn around. Along the way I count six hands that grope my behind and two hands that 'accidentally' fall on my boobs. And despite it being so packed that I could normally just slap the offender, they all managed to evade me.

The second I step out of that mess, a cool breeze caresses my face, almost assuring me that I'll be alright. My skirt dances lightly in the wind, cooling off my legs.

This feels so nice. I'm not going to lie- despite the ridiculously strong Greek alcohol, the slightly questionable food, and the hazardous club, I like this town. It's homey and even though there's hundreds of Greeks and tourists alike, I feel peaceful. Don't ask me how.

I head off in a random direction and stroll along for nearly a half hour before I have the feeling I'm being followed. You know that creepy feeling when you can't help but think someone is watching you? Yeah- it's definitely like that. I turn around numerous times but it's impossible to tell through the mass of people. I can't help the surge of self-consciousness that floods my senses. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. I'm sure someone would help me out if something went amiss but then again, you can never be sure about that. I'll just head back to the ship. I'll explore tomorrow when it's light out and the friendlier people are about.

Good. Now where did I come from?

Fear arises in me when I look around and don't recognize anything. In my panic, I just blindly walked around and now I'm lost in some kind of small park.

_Smashing._ Absolutely bloody smashing.

It's not like I can use the sun to point me in the right direction and I didn't pay attention in Hogwarts when professors expressed just how important the constellations could be. Applaud yourself, Katie. You've managed to screw yourself over.

Wait! The North Star! I look up but to my dismay, a canopy of trees blocks my view. What do I do now? I'm going to die here. They're going to find my dead body in a bloody park of all places! So much for my dream heroic death.

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, KATIE!!

I try to take deep breaths to calm myself but the realization that I'm completely alone except for a man walking down the path towards me engulfs me in panic. What am I going to do?

The man approaches nonchalantly with his hands leisurely in his pockets. As he passes underneath a gap in the branches, the moonlight illuminates his face.

Leon.

Oh, thank Merlin! It's Leon. Surely he knows the way back to the ship. Or at least he can guide me back to the heart of the city. I can find my way back from there.

"Bonsieur Katherine. You shouldn't be wandering these streets alone. Eets not safe."

"Actually I was on my way back but I'm kind of lost." I explain feeling relieved. He'll be my escape! "Do you know which direction the ship is?"

He keeps moving closer. "Of course I do," he says with a grin.

"You are my savior. I was so scared something was going to happen. You're right- I shouldn't be wandering around here alone. Could you point me in the right direction, please?"

"Better yet, I will show you!" he proclaims with an unreadable expression.

Oh... alright. I suppose as long as he's with me, he can discourage any potential attackers and keep my stalker at bay. "Thank you."

Leon offers his arm and I'm left with no choice but to take it but as I loop my arm with his, I feel like it's wrong. I mean, he's just escorting me but it feels like I'm not being faithful to Oliver. I'm sure he'd be a wee bit angry if he saw this.

The thought of Oliver being angry at Leon brings flashbacks of the last time we saw him. Oliver had him pinned up against the wall in one of the hallways.

... And the reason Oliver was livid was because Leon nearly attacked me.

Oh, Merlin... How could I have forgotten that?

Leon grins smugly and leads me out of the park. I can't help but realize that this isn't the way I came from.

No- it's alright, Katie. He just knows a shortcut. I can't even be sure that this isn't the way directly into town. I have no idea at all where I wandered to.

I try to reason with myself and keep repeating that he either forgot about the incident or he's trying to make up for it and helping me is his form of apology.

"How did you get so far from the ship? We are clear on the other side of the town."

Since I don't exactly think it's intelligent to tell him Oliver was ignoring me and therefore has no idea in the world where I am, I make up a lie. "I was looking for a shop. My mum wanted me to get her an authentic Greek painting of Aurora and a dish with the portrait of Dionysus." He looks at me curiously so I add, "She was very specific." How I came up with that is absolutely beyond me.

"Why did you not just look around in the town?"

Uh. Damn... "I heard some people talking about a shop around here that has a bunch of home décor."

"And your _Oliver_ is not with you? Why?" He nearly spits my boyfriend's name.

Maybe because I was an absolute fool and decided to leave him without so much as a goodbye (although that's exactly what he did to me and what made me angry in the first place) and on top of it, I decided to wander away from Jesse and the others. I normally tend to make wiser decisions.

"I see. You are upset with each other." He gathers. Great- my silence gave it away. Way to go, Katie. Your thinking (or lack thereof) has put you in a fat, nasty, smelly pickle.

We exchange a long, bone-chilling (at least on my part, anyway) look and a parade of shivers march down my spine. He has a VERY familiar glint in his eyes. His questions had distracted me from the true mystery. I'm here because I panicked and got lost.

But why is Leon here? And how did he find me?

Adrenaline floods my senses and I look around, just now realizing that the faint music that could be heard from the park is now gone. It's eerily quiet. I inwardly groan when I take in the fact that we're in some deserted alleyway. In fact, we're so far into the alleyway that I can't see the end in either direction.

Bleeding SMASHING job there, Katie. The Queen of England should personally give you an award for being the most ignorant and the stupidest person in the world.

It's ok, though. I still have one trick up my sleeve. I'm a witch. Therefore, I can do magic. I have every right to defend myself but it may not even come to that. I can just stupefy him and I'll have plenty of time to escape. The way back to the ship is obviously the opposite of where he's taking me so I have a good general direction to safety. No biggie.

I reach around cautiously but grab air.

What? I always put it between my side and my waistband.

But I'm wearing a skirt... I gave my wand to Oliver so it wouldn't look weird or stretch out my tank top.

At this discovery, fear like no other grips and threatens to choke me. I've heard people use the term 'white fear' to describe it. It's sheer panic that makes it nearly impossible to breathe or move or even think clearly. Everything around you goes white and blank and then fades away until the only thing in the world is you and the thing that frightens you so.

Leon suddenly stops and turns to me. "Katherine? Are you feeling ill?" His devilish smile assures me that he's not exactly concerned. He raises his hand to move a few strands of hair from my face, enjoying the terror he's caused in me.

DO SOMETHING, YOU FUCKING COWARD!! A voice screams in my head, demanding me to obey or do something. Anything.

Somehow the voice does the trick and right as he reaches to grab my arm, my knee flies up with a force like no other, striking him exactly on the desired spot. He groans and drops his hands to tend to his wound, leaving me with the perfect chance to escape.

Needless to say, I run as I had never run before. But just as I see a sliver of light at the end of the alley, Leon literally launches himself on top of me, making us both crash to the ground... with all of his weight on top of me. My knees take most of the impact and I try to cry out in agony but his hand clamps down on my mouth. "Now, now. I will have none of that. I always get what I want. Always. But you took Emily away from me already so you're going to have to pay for that. Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm letting you go, my dear." I can feel warm, sticky blood around my legs.

Tears burn through my marcara, temporarily blinding me. Leon notices and wipes my eyes with the sleeve of his polo. "Oh, I'm not giving you that escape, either. You're going to watch it all."

I shake my head vigorously, for lack of anything else to do. I can't kick him again- I can't feel my legs at all. The fall might have shattered my kneecaps and I'm sure the amount of blood pouring from my legs isn't normal. He somehow managed to pin my arms up above my head without my realizing and with the other hand is impatiently pulling up my skirt.

No. There is no way I'm just going to take this. I wriggle around as much as I can and sink my teeth into his hand, making him scream out. In the confusion he leans down close enough for me to slam my head into his.

He falls off me, screaming what I assume are profanities in French. I sit up but this seems to backfire. Though I managed to disable him for a few extra moments, my head swims, too. There's no way I can run. My legs are absolutely useless at this point. Either I somehow beat him with my frail arms or I'm pretty much done for.

"You little bitch!" he yells at me and raises his arm to strike me in the face. I put up my own arms to protect myself and squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for the blow and wishing more than anything that Oliver could somehow find me and save me.

I cry harder at the thought of what's to come. He's going to take my virginity. Merlin... I just want Oliver. I should have never left him- he would never let this happen to me. Who cares about some bloody secret? Anything is better than this horror.

Please save me...

Oliver? Where are you?

* * *

Those of you that said it were right- there was a wee bit too much fluff and not much drama at all. What's a story without drama? I thought I could spice things up a bit. As far as updating goes, I hope to have the next chappy out soon but you know how that's been going. I will also be editing/revising the previous chapters because frankly, they're horrible. I won't change major things but there is definately work to be done. Just putting it out there.

Mucho love!!

Cherriey


	16. Oblivious

I sincerely appologise for leaving you with the cliffy for so long. Let me tell you- I've never had so many papers and essays and exams in my life. On top of that- this chapter has been BY FAR the most difficult to write. There was a lot going on and none of it made sense. It was done 3 weeks ago but every time I looked at it, I saw more things that needed to be completely deleted and revised. I've read these 9 pages far too many times to count and I'm finally satisfied enough to post.

This semester is over so I have a good week and a half to write before my summer class starts. I really plan on getting at least the next chappy out before I get sucked into another ridiculous load of BS that is school work.

There are a profanities in this chapter. This is my warning. I think people in this situation might let a few bad words slip out.

I hope you enjoy and my efforts were not fruitless!

* * *

"Well how the bleeding hell does it work, then?!" I try to stay calm but fail miserably. This only succeeds in making me angrier. Well can you blame me? These idiots tested that blasted potion on my Katie. Yes- they used an UNFINISHED product on her! Of course they had no idea of the after-effects, but who would really test something potentially hazardous on a supposed friend?

Oh- that's right. The fucking twins!

And of course even though I had no part in any of this, I can't help but feel guilty because they did it to help me woo Katie. So you can see exactly why I'm so _thrilled_ to find that my Kates has some kind of reaction to the potion that the twins used on her. How in Merlin's name the twins managed to inadvertently make something that makes people clueless to painfully obvious things is absolutely, positively beyond me. You would think that upon realizing the situation they might let us know instead of laughing on about it and playing around first.

Of course not. When have the Weasley Twins EVER had common sense? When have they EVER done something reasonable?

I shake my wand frantically in irritation. We noticed Katie was missing over a half hour ago and who knows how long before that she actually left.

I'm angry at everything. At Katie for being so foolish: who the bloody hell leaves to go gallivanting alone in a foreign country?! Is she just asking for trouble? Does she just want to drive me sick with worry? 'Cause guess what, Katie- its working!!

I'm angry at the twins for…. well, for being the twins. Only they can achieve something so incredibly unusual and manage to blow everything to kingdom come.

But most of all, I'm furious with myself. How could I have ignored Katie and not even noticed when she left? How is that bleeding possible?

And to make things all the better, I have the nagging, heart-wrenching feeling that something is wrong. Something is happening and I'm not there to protect Katie.

I resist screaming in outrage and pay attention to the twins again.

"It's just like we've been saying for the past twenty-five minutes!" Fred has been panicking for some time. He's nearly as worried as I am about Katie. George has taken to muttering nonsense.

Well, at least they realize the severity of the situation and aren't cracking jokes. Either they've found some common sense or they just know I'd beat them until neither of them knew their own names.

I feel like I'm back in Hogwarts trying to learn a new spell and managing only to fail horribly. The twins say they found Katie and I using some sort of 'top secret tracking device spell'. I haven't bothered asking how they even came across something like this. Apparently it's so secret that they haven't even mastered it yet. They never cease to baffle me.

This is ridiculous. We've been in this alley for a half hour trying desperately to make it work but it's all in vain. How can something so simple be so difficult? All one has to do is think about the person you want to find and touch your wand to something that belongs to the person. From there your wand should act as a compass that will lead you to the target. A bleeding half hour and STILL no results! And I just know something is wrong. I need to find Katie NOW!

"Listen!" George finally shouts over us. "I got it! Fred- we have to say the name aloud!"

Before I can even see Fred's lips move in response I close my eyes, think of my beautiful girlfriend, say her name aloud and tap my wand to hers.

With a small flash of golden light, my wand nearly flies from my grip in a random direction. "I'VE GOT IT!!" I shout and run in that direction. I can faintly hear the Twins yelling a distraction to help me get through the crowd. I have no doubt that they know exactly how to divert attention seamlessly.

Buildings blur behind me as I soar past them. Nothing can slow me down. I have to make sure she's alright.

My wand points me into an alley and my heart races uncontrollably when I see Leon on top of Katie about ten meters away. The blood that drenches both of them makes me lose all rationality.

She manages to bite his hand and slams her head into his. He screams and my heart sets ablaze when he begins to raise his hand to strike her.

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" I roar and before he even has the chance to look up, I sink my fist into his face. He flies off of Katie and she starts sobbing in relief.

"Katie!" I hear one of the twins yell. They rush over to tend to her. Perfect- now that they're taking care of her, I can focus all of my Scottish rage on this poor bastard.

Leon makes some sort of battle cry and launches himself at me. In any other situation I would have laughed at how pathetic he looks. A quick knee to the stomach effectively stops him and he crumples to the cobblestone pathway. I drag him a few meters down the alley to get him away from Katie. "I thought I told you to stay away from her," I spit menacingly. "How DARE you lay a single fucking hand on her!?"

I wait a few moments to give him the chance to fight back but he remains on the ground. Well, if he won't come to me, I'll go thrash him. I hover over Leon and pound my fists furiously on his stomach and face, refusing to stop.

If he had been alone for just a few more minutes with Katie, he would have raped her and who knows what he would do afterward. For that matter, who knows what he's already done to be covered in blood. I swear if that's her blood, I will kill him.

"OLIVER!" one of the twins shouts. Can't they see I'm a tad busy here?

I see the glint too late to react and Leon sinks a small pocket knife into my thigh. Pain floods my senses but with the desperate need to make this git pay for harming Katie, I manage to block it out. Now that it's rather apparent he has a knife, I let out another roar and smash my fist into his nose, only feeling satisfied when I hear cartilage break. This entire time he had a knife! This only increases the danger Katie was in by two fold. He could have killed her!

I raise my arm again, ready for another pounding session, but George holds me back. Leon's eyes widen in alarm as he stares at him. I follow his gaze and realize George's wand is pointed at Leon.

How the hell could I have forgotten about magic? I could have taken care of this matter without getting covered in blood.

No. On second thought, I wouldn't. I wouldn't rely on magic to carry out such a task. Satisfaction comes only in doing this personally. And I'm not a coward.

"I can beat him well enough without magic, thank you."

George's look suggests he is quite aware of the fact. "You can't kill him, Oliver."

Is he mad? "Of course I can!" I shout.

"I don't think the local police would be too lenient on you if you did."

Leon looks back and forth between us as if we're insane. He considers us for a moment and unexpectedly begins laughing.

"You will keel me weeth a steek?" Though the wounds I've graced him with look worse than all of the Quidditch injuries I've ever acquired throughout my entire career combined, he laughs. "Oh, you Engleesh are ridiculous! Go on! Zap me!" he waves his arms about pathetically to emphasize his amusement, apparently completely forgetting about his broken nose.

"Who cares about the police? We can clean the mess up easily enough. Did you put up a sound minimizing charm already?"

George nods. "No one can enter the alley and they definitely can't hear a thing."

"Excellent." I turn to face Leon again. "Then they won't hear him screaming." His eyes widen in panic, both because he's aware he's about to acquire a few more bruises and because he's starting to realize we're not joking about magic.

"Does this assault reely require death? It's just one little girl…" he tries to reason but before he can even finish his sentence I sink my fist into his mouth again.

"That **woman** is my girlfriend. And don't think we're bleeding stupid. She isn't your first victim. You've obviously never been punished or else you would have thought twice. As far as I'm concerned, you deserve to suffer."

"Oliver, let me take care of this, please. I have a plan."

"Really? Just like your smashing plan to get Katie 'sick'? That was a brilliant idea, too, George!" I turn on him again.

He looks hurt by my words but doesn't comment on them. "This will benefit all of us. Trust me. Have we ever let you down?" I open my mouth but he goes on before I can say anything. "Oliver, we've known each other for ten years! Trust me to take care of this!"

A million thoughts and scenarios go through my head but I end up deciding to give him another chance. "What's the plan?"

George grins mischievously at me. "Go take care of Katie and send Fred over."

He doesn't need to give me any further explanation. Just by implying that the two of them team up is a good enough incentive for me to back away. After all, their entire lives are based around giving people hell. This muggle bastard has no chance against them.

I rush back to where Fred and Katie are. My muscles clench painfully as I see the amount of blood around her.

Fred sees me approach and explains the situation. She fainted when we arrived. She wasn't raped, but all of the blood was coming from around her legs. After close inspection, Fred put a pain-reducing spell on Katie and somehow knew a spell that stopped the bleeding. She'll be ok until we get to a healer.

A few months ago Fred explained that Alicia and Angelina, terrified that the twins would kill themselves, had made Fred and George attend a two week long course on healing potions and spells. In fact, the two women refused to even speak to the twins until they graduated the course. I could kiss those girls now- they inadvertently saved Katie's life.

Once all the facts are straight, I tell Fred to go join his brother. Those two have business to take care of.

I turn to Katie and mutter a cleaning spell that soaks up all the blood, first from her and then from around the entire affected area. I'd rather there be no muggle investigations on this incident. It would be far too complicated to explain why no one heard the screaming. Besides- the twins are already scheming. It's too late to stop them from raising hell.

The way Katie's helplessly sprawled out on the cobblestones makes me want to shout profanities. How could I have let this happen?!

For a moment I consider summoning my broom and going aboard the ship secretively, but that's far too risky. There would be no excuse as to how she got injured, as there are various muggle surveillance devices around the ship. If I suddenly come out of our room with a beaten up woman, it might send a red flag.

I don't want to risk apparating back to St. Mungo's because honestly, that's just a stupid move. It's way too far away and we don't need splinching added to the list of injuries.

I could always put a disillusion charm on Katie but then getting through security would be impossible and if they don't record her coming back on board, the consequences are unforeseeable.

I lift her up and carry her bridal-style, heading for the closest healer I know of: the ship's medical bay. This is the best option. Besides, we need help. Fred helped save her life but she still needs some kind of healer- muggle or not.

* * *

Groggily, I open my eyes and close them again immediately. It's so bright!

I lay still for another few moments to clear my head and figure out where I am. This doesn't seem familiar at all…

"Kates?" The Scottish accent belongs to Oliver. My eyes fly open in excitement but the brightness blinds me for a second time. I rub my eyes consolingly but feel cool hands on my wrists, pulling my hands away. A million kisses all over my face follow within seconds.

Well I suppose this is a rather nice way to wake up. I could get used to this. I grin through the kisses and capture Oliver's lips on my own. Merlin, this man's lips taste so sweet. How I could have lasted my entire life without his kisses is beyond me.

Oliver finally breaks the kiss but stays hovering over me, staring at me intently. There's a moment of silence before he envelops me in a bear hug.

"Oliver!" I chuckle lightly. "What's gotten into you? Are you alright?"

"Am I alright?" He repeats incredulously, pulling away from the hug. "Am_ I_ alright? I think I'm the one that should be asking you that."

What…? Why?

I suppose my confused look must have alarmed him. "You don't remember?"

Remember what? I look around for the first time and conclude that I'm in some kind of infirmary. Apparently since I'm the one on the long white bed, I would assume that between Oliver and myself, I'm the patient. I check around my body for any wounds that may indicate why I might be ill but find nothing.

"The healer already gave you a potion that helped take care of the scrapes and scratches _he _gave you."

My blood chills at the mention of an attacker and all the events that transpired flood my mind.

Leon…

"It's alright, Kates. We took care of him," he consoles. "You don't have to worry about him ever again." He places his hand on mine and caresses it lightly.

"I was so scared, Oliver." Merlin… I was helpless! He could have done anything!! I can't fight the tears spring to my eyes. Oliver's arms are immediately around me again, holding me close. "You saved me from that monster."

"I'll always be with you from now on, Cupkates." He strokes my hair, "I'll protect you forever. No one will ever touch you again. I swear it."

We remain entangled for a few moments. He somehow has the ability to make me feel better even now, in the worst situations. '_I'll be with you from now on'?_ What is he talking about? He's always been there for me. He did save me, didn't he? I've just been too thick and blind to see it until now. And now I realize that Oliver has always thought I'm special. He's always fancied me.

What a fool I've been…

I pull away and look deep into his eyes- eyes that show nothing but adoration.

A flashback of Leon pouncing on top of me and making me crash to the ground makes me panic. How are my knees? I was pretty sure back then that they were done for. Merlin- I don't know what I'd do with myself if I become a paraplegic.

I take a deep breath and pull the sheets off of my legs. Well, they look straight but I can't feel them at all.

Oliver answers my unspoken question. "Your legs will be fine. The healer already took care of them while you were sleeping."

Speaking of which… "How long was I out?" I ask, dreading the answer. Apparently the cruise is long over… there wouldn't be a healer on a ship- why would a certified healer pester with muggle patients? I must be in St. Mungo's or something.

I groan and fall back onto my pillow before Oliver can answer my question. "I'm so sorry, Oliver! I don't know why I ran off like that and why I so naively trusted that git. I was just so happy to see him because I thought he could help me get back to the ship. But now I'll never even get to go back. Ugh! There goes my whole dream vacation!"

Oliver opens his mouth to say something but I keep rambling on before he has a chance to yell at me. "I'm sorry I messed up so royally. I mean, I know I'm a klutz, but even I couldn't have predicted this! And you must have wasted so much money on that trip, too. Please tell me you at least went back and enjoyed yourself. I mean, I must have been out for like three or four days, right? So you would have had plenty of time to go and have fun. I'll pay you back for my half of the trip, though. Merlin knows I had the time of life for at least the first few days-"

"Kates!" Oliver finally interrupts my rant. "You've been sleeping for a few hours! We still have quite a few days to enjoy ourselves."

This news brings my chaotic mind to a halt. "What…?" Is all I can manage. "You said a healer took care of me…"

"I suppose this ship is full of surprises. I brought you here and the nurse that was on duty took us to this back room. She just whipped out a wand and started examining you. Apparently she knows me from Quidditch, too."

With this information comes a million questions but I'm not sure which to ask first. "Why is there a healer on a muggle cruise ship?"

"Let's just say I wasn't cut out for seeing all the gruesome magic-induced injuries." A middle-aged woman enters the room and introduces herself as Nurse Molly.

"I was a grand healer until Voldermort's return but when I had to treat my own family and friends, I couldn't take it. Then seeing my husband die right in front of me just drove me crazy. They said the only way to get over the trauma was to get away from magic and spend time amongst muggles," she explains as she checks over my knees to make sure everything is in order.

"But healing the injured is my passion so I had to learn the muggle version of everything. I've ended up here and I couldn't have chosen a better place to be a healer. There are only minor injuries here so learning the muggle medicines for such wounds was easy enough."

She waves her wand and once everything is to her liking, she rewraps my bandages. "I recognized this lad when he brought you in," Molly indicates Oliver, "Of course, I still keep in touch with the wizard community. I get a Prophet delivered every week. He's all over the papers, this lad, so I brought you straight back here.

"Your legs will be fine. I just want you to stay here for the night and you will come back every evening so I can check up on you. Otherwise, I feel confident enough to let you walk. There was a lot of blood, but thankfully the injury was relatively minor and nothing a healer couldn't fix."

All I can do is nod. It's not really like I have a choice, at the moment. And you know… it's not like she saved my life or anything. I'm ridiculously grateful that she's here. "Thank you so much for everything."

"Oh, don't be silly, dear. But now that you're awake, I must ask you what happened. My superiors have been down here three times in the past two hours. I've told them everything is taken care of, but I need to give them some kind of reason for your injury. If it's magic related, I can come up with an excuse."

I look at Oliver, hoping he'll explain.

"I've already asked the lad. He told me but I want to hear your side, just for verification."

So much for Oliver being able to spare me...

I explain what I remember up until I passed out.

The healer seems satisfied with this and sits silently for a moment. "I'm so sorry about what he did to you, dear." She glances at Oliver. "I don't want to know what you did to him. The less I know, the better. I will tell my superiors that you are not to be pestered by their questions…" She mutters about investigations and things that don't make much sense on her way out and closes the door behind her.

"A nice woman but still a bit mental, I think." Oliver explains. I agree but I can't really blame her… losing her husband entitles her to some loss of sanity.

"So… what happened?" I ask after a few moments of silence. My heart races and I'm torn between wanting to know the answer and not wanting anything to do with it.

"Well, I pretty much beat the hell out of the git and then Fred and George took over. I'm sure they'll tell you all about it soon."

"What do you mean…?" There's no way they can get on the ship without a boarding pass and it's impossible to get one here.

"Kates- it's the twins. They could get into the most secure vault of Gringotts if they really wanted. They've assured me they found a way to make it work out and that's when I left to bring you here. I'm sure they'll find us soon enough."

So that means they're going to be on the ship with us now? I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing. Sure, we'll have a great time, but they have no idea how to behave around muggles. This should be interesting.

Oliver stares at the wall while I play with some loose string from my blanket. I look up at him and notice something is bothering him. "What's wrong?"

He takes a breath, as if preparing himself to tell me something but shuts his mouth promptly.

I wait a few seconds. "…Oliver..?"

He looks at me nervously and when he can't take my questioning look any more, he adjusts himself on the seat, straightens his pants, folds his arms, and goes back to staring at the wall. His face and neck turn a light shade of pink. It's obvious that he wants to tell me something but can't.

"Oliver?" I ask and lean over to touch his arm. "What's wrong?"

"The twins are bloody idiots."

His response is a bit unexpected. "What do you mean? What did they do?"

He stays silent for a moment and looks at me helplessly. "Remember when Fred bumped into you at the Broomsticks?"

No.

No way…

Do NOT tell me there really was something in the drink after all!

My eyes flash in anger. "They promised they wouldn't do anything to us!!" I nearly yell.

Oliver, beginning to panic, leaps up and sits next to me again, holding me close. "Kates… it's alright. They found a way to get rid of the side effects."

"Side effects?" I question, pushing him away.

Oliver eyes widen and he looks like he's literally biting his tongue.

"What side effects?" I ask venomously. "Do you mean to tell me that they gave me something that is the reason I got sick? I TOLD YOU, by the way! And that their potion had some kind of SIDE EFFECT!?" I'm not mad at Oliver. He had no part in this mess but I can't restrain myself from yelling. Honestly, I don't think many people would be too thrilled to find that their friends could have poisoned them.

"It's nothing harmful, I swear. And they know how to make it go away. It'll be fine." It's obvious that Oliver is just as angry at the twins as I am but he'd rather calm me down and deal with his own retribution later. He's even going so far as to half defend the twins just to quell my anger.

"Why did they give me that potion?" I ask him, trying to calm myself, if only for his sake.

He shakes his head, refusing to condemn himself any further. "They can explain the whole thing, alright?"

I stare at him.

Is he serious?

_Oh… by the way, Katie, there is some kind of potion in you that is doing weird things that have crazy side effects. But you know what? I'm going to keep you in the dark about it for another few hours. Is that alright?_

Is he bloody serious?!

"No. It's not alright! I want to know what they did!"

"Katie, please calm down." His eyes are pleading.

I take a deep breath but it does nothing to help me. "Go get them."

"Katie?"

"Get the bloody twins in here so they can explain what the hell they did to me."

"I don't think the healer would let them in, Kates," he says gently.

I glare the wall. This is freaking _fantastic_.

Oliver strokes my arm soothingly. Though he's trying to console me, I can't help but be upset.

Five unbearable minutes pass before I crack again. "Oliver, please. Why can't you tell me? It's not like you had anything to do with it. I'm not mad at you."

"I had no part in it," he mutters more to himself than to me.

"I know…"

He turns ever-so-slowly to look at me. He makes a sound that I first mistake for a cough but soon realize he's trying to hold back a laugh.

… Is there something on my face?

"It had absolutely nothing to do with me," he states and looks at me expectantly. He looks like he's just had an epiphany.

Uhh….

Well, I think it's safe to say that I'm confused. Royally, completely, wholly confused. What in Merlin's name made him suddenly start laughing is beyond me.

"Katie…" he goes on, half trying to hold back his smile. "It was not my fault."

"I think we've been through this! I said I wasn't blaming you! What the bloody hell are you smiling about?" I really don't understand.

"The potion had nothing to do with me." He's grinning now, leaving me torn between wanting to either scream or cry. He waits another moment, as if waiting for me to understand what he means. Finally he shakes his head and chuckles. "You have been rendered naïve, Cupkates. Normally people would start to suspect someone if they denied an incident like I just did. I should have known this whole time…"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" I swear if it weren't for my legs, I would have walked out of here by now. This man is a lunatic!

He takes my hands in his and begins to explain slowly to make sure I comprehend him. "Katie- I've fancied you for ages. And Merlin, you were always ever oblivious to that fact. Everyone else knew and had a good laugh at me because it was so obvious to everyone except for you."

If this is supposed to make me feel better, it's not. And I have NO idea what this has anything to do with the potion.

"When I met you again, I decided that I couldn't be without you anymore so I decided to try to woo you. The twins, however, had no confidence in my wooing skills so they made a potion- behind my back, might I add- that made you sick. They planned for me to nurse you back to health and 'lay down some moves' while you were the 'damsel in distress'."

All I can do is stare. How they could even come up with something like that is beyond me. But I guess it was all justified in their minds- if it was all to try to make me happy with Oliver, they were keeping their promise. "I suppose that makes sense…"

"What they conveniently forgot to mention was that the potion was still in its testing stage. See, they had tested it on one of their paid clients and it was all dandy. But since the potion had a special time release component in it (that's why it took 2 days for it to kick in), the side effects were delayed, too. Is that making sense?"

I nod slowly.

"So a while later, George noticed that their client was- and I quote- 'ridiculously oblivious to painfully obvious things'. For example, she was walking in the muggle city and stumbled across some sort of 'China Town'. She actually believed that London and China were neighbours and that everyone else was wrong in telling her otherwise.

"They decided to test it on someone else and the same obliviousness showed up. That's when they knew that it was safe to say that you have the same side effects so they came looking for us. They were trying to help me woo you, but ended up making you blind to even the most obvious signs. Well… even more unaware of my feelings for you."

_Excellent._ So this whole time that bloody potion was the culprit behind my naivety? I guess that would explain why I didn't realize I liked Oliver for so long. Well- at least it's why I couldn't realize on my own for the past week. I normally don't need a magic ring to tell me I fancy someone. It could explain why I thought he was with Emily when I know he would never do that to me. How could I have thought he was fooling around with her when the ring was still securely fastened to my finger? And now that I think about it, over the past 8 days I really have been rather ignorant.

"But they have a remedy that will make you go back to your old, oblivious self," he says, smiling playfully.

This time his smile is contagious. I feel better now that it's all explained. I'm just glad I'm with Oliver and Leon is gone forever. Everything is finally looking up again- the cruise is only half way over, the twins will be here now (I'll be happy with them once I get them back), and I'm dating the 'sexiest bachelor in the UK' who happens to double as the sweetest man ever.

"It's nearly 3am, Cupkates," Oliver states as he catches a glimpse of the wall clock. "Let's get some rest. It's been a long day and we have a lot to look forward to tomorrow."

I raise my eyebrow. "Oh, really? Like what?"

"I've never been scuba diving before, Kates…"

* * *

Scuba diving, you say? Oh, the possibilities... :)


	17. Scuba Diving

Aren't you prud of me? A whole seven page chapter written in two sittings and shipped out in a week! Apparently I'm excited. :)

This one is definately more cheerful than the previous two chapters. I had fun writing it. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"So let me get this straight," I say, massaging my temples, attempting to alleviate my confusion. "You hexed Leon to look like an old man."

The twins nod.

"And you stole his boarding pass and swapped his picture for your own."

The twins nod again.

"Then Fred came on board with no problems….?"

Fred puffs out his chest proudly.

I find this incredibly hard to believe but continue. "Then Fred found Leon's room, apparated off the ship, found George, and apparated back with him."

They nod once more.

"And now you're here."

"Correct."

"It would seem that way."

"I see…." I really don't understand how they had no problems. They know nothing about muggle computer systems but I suppose anything is possible with magic.

"Katie Pie, just trust us. We've got it under control. Don't worry."

I sigh but comply. Even if worst came to worst and the muggle authorities caught them, they could disappear to the wizarding world.

"Speaking of which-"

"-that reminds us-"

"You must take your antidote, Katie Pie."

"Right." I stare at the phial George offers me. "Just drink it?" Ugg… I doubt something the color of toxic waste will taste good.

George nods. "All in one go. It will taste like mouldy icing but the effects will be immediate."

"Mouldy icing…."

"Yes," George states confidently.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask." I grab my lemonade with my free hand, drink the phial's contents quickly, and then nearly chug the lemonade.

My eyes water slightly at the disgusting taste but I can literally feel something like a cloud of confusion lift from my mind.

"Excellent!" Fred exclaims.

"From now on there will be absolutely NO giving us potions or serums or pills or tricking us, pranking us, playing jokes on us or anything of that sort." Oliver states sternly.

"Deal!" The twins reach out and shake both of Oliver's hands at the same time and then reach over to shake mine.

"Good. What time is it?" Oliver asks.

"11 am, my dear friend," George responds.

"The boat leaves in a half hour so we should get going," I say as I stand from the table and stretch. "That breakfast was amazing, by the way."

The men agree and stand as well. I reach out to pick up the beach bag that contains our clothes and towels but Oliver gets to it first. "Allow me," he says playfully.

"Thank you, good sir," I play along. We're all in good moods.

"I shall meet you at our spot, brother!" Fred says as he waves good bye to us. He's going back to his cabin so he can apparate off the ship.

On our way to the boat that will take us out to where we will be scuba diving we talk animatedly about what's happened in our time apart.

At the security checkpoint, I hand my passport and papers to the officer so he can check them. I hear George gasp behind me.

"What's wrong?" I ask as the officer hands me back my papers.

"OLIVER WILLIAM WOOD!!" George exclaims, clapping Oliver on the shoulder and staring back and forth between us. Both of us freeze and stare at him in horror.

His exclamation is so loud that everyone looks at him curiously. He realizes his folly too late. A worse time he could not have chosen to shout out Oliver's name. We're supposed to be Mr. and Mrs. Everley... especially if right in front of someone who is looking thoroughly through 'official' papers.

The officer looks at George and Oliver suspiciously.

"My dear old friend, Mr. Wood absolutely INSISTED that I try the Greek cuisine." He explains to the official. "What's good, mate?"

The officer looks hesitant but after a long moment of deliberation with narrowed eyes, speaks. "Calamari is exquisite."

"I need some calamari!" George shouts and throws his arms in the air dramatically. He turns to face the small line behind us. "Who knows where some of this exquisite calamari is?"

The crowd looks just as hesitant as the officer but someone finally says a restaurant's name.

"SPECTACULAR! Go on then, Mr. Everley. Give the fine man your papers. I'm famished!"

The officer looks through 'Mr. Everley's' papers skeptically but doesn't find anything wrong. With no evidence against him, he lets Oliver pass.

George hops up and presents his passport and papers with a cheery smile. "Calamari, you say?" The official takes the papers but keeps staring at George. "What exactly is that?"

"Squid," he says without skipping a beat.

George goes pale and covers his mouth. "Really?" he nearly squeaks, his eyes wide.

The officer looks down to inspect his papers. After a long moment he seems satisfied. "Calamari is squid, Mr. Motte." His tone is anything but polite. "Have a great day."

George salutes the man, "Yes, sir!" he exclaims and scampers off before he can incriminate himself any further. Oliver and I follow close behind.

Once we're out of earshot, Oliver turns on George. "What the bloody hell was that about? I'm not Oliver here!"

"Well… technically you are, actually."

I bury my face in my hands exasperatedly.

"And speaking of which, Oliver, I am simply SHOCKED that you wouldn't tell me something so important! And after all Fred and I have done!"

Fred suddenly appears behind his brother but his smile fades as he realizes George is upset.

"What's going on?" he asks.

George's anger suddenly fades and he breaks out into a grin. "Fred- they've finally realized they love each other! Oliver has proposed!"

"What?" Oliver and I both say at the same time.

George grabs my hand and examines the ring on my finger. "A magic one, too!"

Fred wastes no time and literally jumps on Oliver, giving him a massive hug. Then he turns on me and squeezes me until I can't see straight. "CONGRATULATIONS!!" he shouts and releases me.

George squeals and follows suit and steps back to stand next to his brother. They look us up and down, actually _giggle_, and then turn to head towards the scuba boat.

Oliver and I stand there both dumbfounded and a lovely shade of pink.

"Do… do you think we should tell them?" I ask quietly.

Oliver shakes his head and looks at me. "They wouldn't believe us if we tried. Let's just let them make fools of themselves for a while." His hand finds mine and entwines my fingers with his. As we follow the twins, his thumb strokes the top of my hand lovingly.

* * *

"Alright. Are you all ready?" Philip, our diving instructor questions.

Everyone in our group of 15 people nods.

"Great. Just remember what we've taught you and be careful down there!"

The rest of the diving crew gets ready to help people into the water.

When it's finally our turn to get in, the twins push me ahead. "Go on, future Mrs. Wood."

Oliver turns the same shade as a tomato. I try to ignore my own discoloration and sit down on the last step of the ladder that drops to the sea. "Ready?" Philip asks me.

I nod nervously as I double check my mask. "Good. Come into the water, then."

I comply and try not to gasp at the cool temperature. I would have scurried back onto the boat by now if it weren't for my wetsuit. Philip helps me put my tank on and directs me to Ben.

Ben pulls me to a rope that leads from the boat to an anchor about 30 meters away. The rope descends at about a 30 degree angle. He double checks my tank and equipment. "Ok. Start breathing through the mouthpiece. Get used to it and give me a thumbs-up from now on when you're ready."

I place the rubber in my mouth. After about 30 seconds, I feel satisfied and give him a thumbs-up.

"Good. Breath evenly. Hold your nose tightly and keep blowing your nose like Philip showed you. Remember how?" I give a thumbs-up. "Follow me."

I pull myself down along the rope and about five feet from the surface Ben motions for me to hold my nose and blow.

Because the pressure of water increases exponentially the lower you go, the whole 'nose blowing thing' helps equalize your body. Without it, the atmospheric pressure is too great to bear and scuba diving would be impossible.

Once I feel my ears pop, I give the thumbs up and the process is repeated five feet later.

After about a 10 meter descent, Ben makes sure I'm alright and leaves me to go help the next person.

I look about and finally take in my surroundings. I can't begin to count how many fish there are but it must be well over a thousand. Millions of corals and other colored marine life take my breath away. There is simply so much to look at that I don't know where to start. I try not to grin from my excitement because I don't want water flowing into my mask but I've never found it so hard to stop myself from squealing in glee.

I start heading towards the coral, propelling myself with gigantic fins. They actually help me get there really quickly.

Oh… everything is so beautiful. It's amazing how many colors and species of coral there are. I swim slowly around and around the coral, just marveling at how something 15 meters underneath the surface of the sea can be so lovely and so lively.

Fifteen minutes of floating about fills me with enough awe for a lifetime. Never have I seen such a spectacular interaction between animals and their habitat. Television might give you an idea as to how beautiful nature is but nothing can match this experience.

Finally satisfied with my coral observation, I swim out into the open water, just taking pleasure in kicking my huge fins leisurely. By now I'm used to breathing through my mouthpiece. I look about and take note of the millions of fish and-

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

I kick rapidly to try to get away from whatever just touched my belly but in my frantic dash to get away, I hit something above me. I can see a long stream of bubbles rise above my head. They're the only signs of my screaming.

In my desperate attempt to get away, something latches onto my leg and yanks me down. My hands fumble with the mouthpiece, both trying to hold it in my mouth and stop water from entering.

I look down to catch a glimpse of what has a hold of me and feel another stream of bubbles fly up- only this time my scream is one of anger.

There, underneath me is a waving George sporting a massive grin. I tilt my head up only to find Fred shaking his behind at me.

Hilliarious, guys… That was bloody hysterical. A riot.

I'm going to find Oliver… maybe he won't be such a prat. As I swim away I give the twins a great view of something seen by man for the first time ever- the amphibious bird.

Once I find Oliver and catch up to him, I somehow manage to explain what had happened via hand gestures. He shakes his head as if disappointed and signals for me to follow him behind one of the huge corals.

Here he indicates that I should keep watch for our fellow scuba divers while he whips out his wand and begins waving it about. Oliver points his wand at a small yellow fish and concentrates on his spell. It takes a minute or two but sure enough the hex works. Surprisingly, Oliver has always been pretty handy with non-verbal spells. Right before my eyes, the small fish that couldn't have been bigger than my palm grows into a full-sized shark

Another long stream of bubbles escapes me.

Oliver points his wand at the twins and then stows his wand. As if on a mission to cause nothing but chaos, the shark shoots over to Fred.

Fred, noticing it just in time, panics and kicks his fins frantically to get away; an endless trail of bubbles billowing behind him. The shark pursues him for a full minute and then unexpectedly finds something very interesting about George.

I look at Oliver and can't help but notice his grin.

All the other divers swim about as if nothing is out of order. It seems that they don't see the shark. Putting two and two together I realize the spell is something like the Hungarian Horntail the twins use to keep guard in their shop. A harmless spell, perhaps, but it does not fail to strike terror into its victims.

I think Fred and George had this coming.

Oliver grabs my hand and motions that he wants to go swimming with me. For the next half hour we swim around hand-in-hand, marveling at the amazing experience we're sharing.

Soon enough, though, our scuba instructors herd us all back to the boat. It is here that the twins declare an ultimate war. I groan in frustration. I'm not entirely looking forward to the pandemonium that will soon consume our lives.

We get back to the main island around 1:45 and head straight for a beach close by. It's not too crowded so we find a good spot to store our belongings. I take off my tank top and skirt, blushing at the twins' catcalls and Oliver's slightly parted mouth so I head for the water, trying to ignore my discomfiture.

"RACE!!" I hear one of them shout from behind me and hear them stomping closer. Instinctively, I run as fast as I can but don't feel surprised when I see Oliver pass me.

Woah! I knew he has abs but Merlin… I couldn't have imagined a better looking body. He just has like the perfect tan. I try to fight the lump growing in my throat and the need to run my hands over his chest.

Despite the difficulty, I manage to shake the urge from my mind just in time to see Oliver reach the water.

Great…

Why would I bother trying to race against someone who works out like five times a week?

After racing to the shoreline, we get the bright idea to play Chicken.

George perches himself atop Fred while I sit on Oliver's shoulders and we nearly fight to the death. Surprisingly, I hold up nicely until George ruffles my hair out of my pony tail. The wind blows my hair about and it successfully blinds me. George seizes the opportunity and shoves me off of Oliver.

All I can register during my fall is the twins' cheering.

Once I get my hair sorted out, the men decide that I should go up against Fred.

Although Fred's tactic of swinging wildly seems foolproof, it fails him. I manage to duck the blow that was supposed to take me out and push him off whilst he's caught off guard.

I jump off Oliver and squeal excitedly as I hug him tightly.

"We won!" he shouts.

I waste no time and begin dancing in victory.

"Alright- now it's time for the lovely couple, eh Fred?" George interrupts, cutting my dance short.

I gulp but can't resist the challenge.

We situate ourselves and wait for George to initiate the fight.

"GO!!"

It doesn't take long to realize that I'm pretty much out of luck. I formulate a plan to get him off quickly before he has a chance to do much. I try to tickle but he grins as if struck by an idea. He tickles back so I pull my arms close to my body. Instantly, he literally jumps on me, his arms pinning my arms down as I scream and we tumble into the sea.

I come up sputtering for air but instead of oxygen, I feel his lips on mine. Well this isn't bad… I can't help but liquefy into his arms.

Fred and George erupt in shouts and more catcalls.

Oliver pulls away slowly and we open our eyes, his thumb stroking my cheek affectionately. "I couldn't resist, Cupkates."

I step up on my tippy-toes and kiss him lightly. Once his eyes are closed I pounce on him and wrap my legs around his waist, forcing him to lose balance. We both tumble back into the water.

"What was that for?" he asks, apparently confused once we come back up.

"I couldn't resist."

"Oh, really?" he questions with a raise eyebrow. "I'm not too sure that was wise."

Uh-oh….

I start running out in the sea as quickly as I can against the waves. Once out far enough I dive in and swim underneath the worst of the waves, quickly getting farther and farther away from him.

I turn around to see if I'm safe yet but to my surprise, he is nowhere in sight. Where could he-

Suddenly something grabs my entire torso and pulls me under the surface. There's a scuffle and I kick free, swim to the surface and prepare to-

As if it were a horror movie in slow motion, I see George shoot out of the water less than half a meter from me, his arms high above his head…. reaching for me…

Oh, shi-

Once again I get pushed into the sea.

Luckily, Oliver comes to my rescue and pries George off me. Only now Fred has appeared too and both of the twins are teamed up against Oliver.

I have a plan…

I take a huge breath of air, slip underneath the waves, and swim a meter or so under the men. In the summers when I was little, I used to go swimming all the time and my friend and I used to have breath-holding contests. I like to think of myself as a semi-pro now. My record time is three minutes.

I know… that's not really much at all compared to the records out there, but for an amateur, I'd say it's pretty good. I slit my eyes open and watch their struggle suddenly stop as they realize I'm missing. They turn in every direction, looking for me, probably panicking.

I wait for the opportune moment, kick my feet off the sand, and jump on Fred's back, dragging him under.

His strangled yelp of surprise has me grinning, despite the nasty salty taste of the water.

We end up staying at the beach for another four hours, stopping our horseplay only for a late lunch. Before we know it, the sun is dipping dangerously low to the horizon.

This is when we decide to calm down. Fred and George declare that they want to go explore the town and leave me to gape at my very sexy boyfriend. Of course with my luck he catches me staring and takes me into his arms, grinning.

"Have I told you that you're beautiful, Katie?"

"A few times…"

"Well a few times is not _nearly_ enough. I will have to tell you several times every day."

"Oh, stop…" I say, swatting him away playfully.

"Come on…" he says, taking my hand. "Let's go watch this Greek sunset that I hear is so priceless."

And we did. We chose a secluded spot on the beach, away from all the other tourists and Greeks. There Oliver held me close in his arms and we watched the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen.

I'm sorry to say that my summer class starts on Tuesday. It's only one class but I'm expecting a lot of work. I will try to update as soon as I can.

Keep reviewing!


	18. Beyond Perfect

**I'm falling for him… so why does it feel like I'm flying?**

Can I be honest for a second? I wrote this whole chappy in about 8 hours, trying to make it perfect. I normally would have no problem with this, but see- I have a huge project for class that I have to finish tonight. Have I started yet? HA! Funny one. But seriously- I wrote like half a page of this and then just got sucked in. Before I knew it, I was 3 pages deep and if felt like 5 minutes had passed instead of an hour. And I couldn't stop for the world...

I would like to thank all of my reviewers!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ALL OF YOU!! I had no idea this story would be such a big hit. Thank you all so much for staying with me for such a long time. You have my love.

You should all thank heyyodude! That review was one of the main inspirations for this chappy. Oh... and to get my imagination going, I researched and found a site that had me hooked and laughing like crazy. Get ready for some good old mushy lovin!

* * *

"Hey…" I say as I latch my arms around Oliver in a surprise hug.

"Yes, my dear?"

With a huge goofy smile glued to my face I go on to gush about how much fun I've had all day. "The ruins were unbelievable. I had no idea how breathtaking they are in person!"

Oliver tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear but I continue. "And you know how much I love the beach so I'm happy we got to spend some time there, too. I'm finally not pale anymore!"

"You were paler than parchment…" Oliver mutters underneath his breath.

"Hey!" I swat playfully.

"I'm kidding. You're perfect no matter what."

The cliché but still undeniably sweet comments Oliver insists on submerging me in still make my heart clench in adoration. Sure, I've had boyfriends before that said sweet things but none of them showed me such pure affection or attention.

"Are you ready, then, Cupkates?" Oliver finally asks.

"Ready for what?" I question, caught off guard.

"For your surprise!" he chuckles at my confusion.

Huh? "I get a surprise? Since when?"

"Since a few days ago when I went off for alone for a bit while you were taking a shower. I planned it all out. Now get ready. Wear something formal."

I can barely hide my excitement. What on earth does he have planned?

I think I'll wear my champagne coloured halter top dress. I've only worn it once before and I got it over three months ago. Simply unacceptable for such a nice (and expensive, I might add) dress. I look about our stateroom, searching for matching heels as Oliver finishes drying his dripping hair.

"What time is it, by the way?" he asks in a strained voice as he hops on one foot, trying to put his sock on.

"8:36."

"Seriously? That doesn't give us much time at all."

"Tell me what you have planned!" BINGO! Found the other heel. Now I just need to put on my necklace and change into my dress. Since I took the first shower my makeup and hair are already done. All Oliver has to do is put on a shirt and his shoes and he'll be set. I don't know why he's panicking.

But then again, Oliver has always had a thing for being on time.

"You have to wait to see. Oh, you're so cute when you pout like that but it's not going to make me tell you."

I sigh but make him turn around so I can change into my dress. Just in case, I say a spell that puts up a changing screen between us.

"Is that really necessary, Kates?" There's a hint of amusement in his tone.

I consider for a moment and decide that if he really hasn't tried anything on me in the past 4 days, it would be safe to say he'd respect my privacy. Despite this, I still say 'yes', if only for the sake of my dignity as I pull the dress over my head and tie the straps.

"Do you think we could stop somewhere to get a bite to eat before we do whatever you have so evilly planned? I'm famished!" With the flick of my wand the wall disappears and leaves me face to face with one rather sexy boyfriend. Before I can stop it, my thoughts tumble from my lips. "Wow, you're hott."

"Actually," he says grinning, "the temperature in here is quite nice."

I groan in irritation at myself. It's not my fault I blurt things around him. I can't help but wonder- if I'm falling for him, why does he make me feel like I'm flying? "Come on, Mr. Everley."

"After you, my dear wife," Oliver holds the door open for me.

Oliver takes hold of my hand on the way to the elevator and from there on out refuses to let it go. Not that I'm complaining….

Seriously. Can just pause for a minute and gush about how perfectly his hand fits in mine? And its always so pleasantly warm- but never too hot and never sweaty. They're not smooth as silk (he does play a lot of Quidditch, after all) but the way he holds on more than makes up for it. It always feels as if he treasures my hand because it's always held securely as if to ensure himself that I'm really his now. It simply makes me feel safer than ever before.

Oliver leads me all the way up to the eleventh story and half way across the ship before I realize we're headed straight for the Portofino.

"Oliver!" I gasp his arm with my free hand and pull him to a stop. "When I said I was hungry I was thinking maybe just like a sandwich or something." I lower my voice to a whisper, "I don't need to eat at a five star restaurant!"

"Oh," is all he responds and begins walking towards the Portofino again. Much to my dismay, he still hasn't let go of my hand since we left the stateroom. Before I know it, I'm right at his side again, despite my attempts to break free of his grip.

"We have a reservation for Everley," he tells the associate standing at the podium. She immediately leads us to our table. This leaves me to wonder if she has the seating chart memorized- she knows exactly where she's leading us and she didn't even look at any sort of list.

The associate stops in front of a room with incredibly lush curtains that seclude it from the rest of the restaurant. She pulls back one of the edges and Oliver pulls me inside. "Have an exceptional evening, Mr. and Mrs. Everley," she says kindly and departs.

As the curtains fall back into place, I stand still waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Except for a few candles along the wall and on the table, it's utterly dark.

"Oliver… what is all of this?"

"This is a private room, Cupkates."

I stare at him. Really? A private room? I had no idea!

Merlin… this must cost a fortune…

"No, really. Is this what you were talking about earlier?"

He ignores my question and walks over to the far wall. He pulls a cord and the curtains are pulled back only to reveal a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the moon's ascent above the ocean. I gasp at the beauty of it. It's so romantic!!

"You're kidding me, Oliver…"

He leads me to a velvet semi-circle couch that wraps around the table.

Oliver notices me staring in awe at everything surrounding us. It's all so expensive! The entire room is lined in deep red curtains, the carpet looks like satin, and even the tablecloth feels like it cost more than necessary.

And the way the moonlight illuminates the room is gorgeous. I can't even begin to say how lovely it is. The smell of vanilla and strawberries penetrate the air.

"Really, I'm flattered that you think so much of me that you took me to a five-star restaurant and on top of that got us a _private room_, but we don't have to do this. It's not too late to leave." Oh… if the room is so nice, how much is the food going to cost?!

He finally lets go of my hand, turns to face me, and holds both of my hands in his left hand while he reaches up with the other one to stroke my cheek with his thumb.

UNFAIR!! Just this alone is making my heart pound thunderously! And I already feel like I'm melting underneath his touch. But that's not enough for him. No. On top of everything, the way his chocolate eyes gaze into mine so tenderly makes me feel like my entire body is just liquefying into a sloppy pool at his feet.

It's unfair, I tell you. He can make me go crazy with a simple touch and mere eye contact while I have nothing against him. If this were a game of Quidditch, I would not hesitate to call a foul.

"Katie, you haveno idea how much you mean to me and what I wouldn't give to be with you forever. I tried to stop caring for you so many years ago because it was inappropriate in Hogwarts. It never worked. I tried to stop thinking about you by getting lost in Quidditch. That didn't help. I'vetried to use five different potions to stop my undying affection for you but it was all in vain. Merlin- I only chose those potions because their names. 'Kill the Love', 'Annihilate the Love', 'Termination: Love', 'Ick! Get it off of me!' and 'Eww…LoveBe Gone!'. All of them began with a different letter of your name. All of the strongest stuff on the market and all five of them failed.

"You make me happier than when a new broom comes out or when we win a game. You make me feel like I can always be at home with you- like being by your side is where I can completely let go and not worry about putting up a macho façade- I can be my goofy self. You're the only one that's ever truly accepted me for exactly who I was and because I knew you would always back me up and be there for me, I was able to put my entire life on the line when I went out for Quidditch. It's the only reason I ever made it big in Quidditch. You make me smile no matter how close or far away from me you are. The way you pout and giggle and smile and blush makes me feel like I ate some kind of hairy animal and it's tickling the inside of my stomach. Your sweet, caring nature makes me have hope that the world is not completely full of self-centered idiots." The ring on my finger not only tingles in warmth, but constricts ever more securely around me.

"I could go on for the rest of this cruise and list every way you make me smile and all the reasons you are perfect but then you'd start pouting and I'd just forget where I was because you're so cute and you distract me so easily.

"You, my dear Katie, are the love of my life. There's no way I could ever stop thinking about you." He pauses to wipe a tear from my cheek. "That's how I know it's true love. There is no way in the world anything could stop me from coming back to you. I would stop at nothing to protect you. If years of trying to move on have failed, it has to be because I love you. No potion or spell in the world could quell my feelings for you. No woman- muggle or witch could ever even dream of coming close to your place in my life. No matter what anyone does, you will always have the single key to my heart."

Even if he has more to say, I don't care. Tears roll freely down my face as I lean in to close the gap between us. My lips lightly skim his and I whisper the words that my heart has known all along but my mind was too thick to realize. "I love you, too, Oliver Wood."

He was about to lean closer but freezes at the words. I take the chance to kiss him softly. Just one peck.

But it's not enough… I've had to last my entire life without Oliver's lips and a wave washes over me- a wave that leaves me with a burning desire to feel his lips on mine.

I peck his lips again, this time refusing to break contact. Still, this isn't enough. I pull one of my hands free and run it through his coffee coloured hair, subconsciously tugging him closer, needing to feel that this is real and not some kind of perfect dream.

I kiss him again and again, finally breaking him out of his stupor. He moves the hand that was on my face to the back of my neck, pulls me even closer and kisses me back passionately. I can feel both of our hearts pounding with overwhelming emotion for one another. I'm pretty sure I literally dissolve is his embrace, but really I can't tell because my mind is so focused on my lips that it feels like the rest of my body is numb. His kiss leaves me breathless and I realize for the first time in nearly a minute that humans need to breathe. The second I open my mouth, his tongue slips in and touches mine.

And here I thought that Oliver Wood was merely _perfect_…

Oh, that word is nothing compared to him. And I wondered how I survived without his lips? They were only the teasing glimpse to the torturous pleasure he's drowning me in.

Indeed, it really is like we're under undulating water. I feel like waves are just crashing down on us, and they're leaving me completely and utterly lost in his kiss. His tongue dances the Tango with mine. I just want to burst at the seams- how can he be so incredibly incredible?!

I honestly don't know how long we made out before he slowly calms the kiss and caresses my tongue. To top it all off, he pecks me sweetly on the lips and finally pulls away.

We both lean back on the couch, trying to catch our breath and both at a complete loss for what to say.

After a minute, he turns his head to look at me. I do the same and sigh delightfully as I get lost in those pools of Heaven he calls eyes.

"Impossible," I finally say.

"What is?"

"It is dumbfoundingly impossible to have lived so long without experiencing that every single day."

"Of course! That's because it's impossible to even live without a kiss from me," he gloats cockily.

"Oh, cut it out…" I swat playfully at him.

"Ok…" he sighs and stares up at the ceiling again. "But seriously…"

I giggle and snuggle up next to him, wrapping my arms around his torso. A few minutes pass before a bell rings.

"Yes?" Oliver responds.

Instantly, the curtains are pulled back and three chefs enter the room, each carrying a large tray with huge domes atop them.

I try to sit up to be polite but Oliver has none of it. He refuses to let me escape from his side.

They place the dishes down and one by one they lift the domes and explain what our meals are. Two of the trays contain two different types of fish and the third holds a variety of sides and vegetables.

My eyes glimmer at the frankly delicious looking meal. "How in the world did you know my favorite kind of fish?!" I cry excitedly once the chefs close the curtain behind them.

Oliver ignores my question and pours two glasses of wine. He takes his and signals for me to do the same. With those breathtaking eyes of his, he gazes at me. "Here is to the love of my life. Now that you're with me, I will never let you go. I promise you that." His Scottish accent threatens to make me crack.

"I love you, Oliver. I've always trusted you with everything but my heart… but now you have that, too."

He grins at this as we clink our glasses together and drink.

"Hearing you say those words makes me feel like my whole life is complete, Katie."

I smile for a moment but then pout.

"What's wrong?" he questions.

"You haven't kissed me in like…" I pause to think about how long it's been, "… seven minutes."

He raises an eyebrow. "Already wanting more, Cupkates?"

I glare at him as I grab his tie and pull him closer to me. "You have no idea…"

* * *

The End

Thank you, everyone! I had a great time writing this! Don't worry- I have a LOT of new ideas. I will be writing a bunch of one-shots... I plan on writing a lot over the summer. Perhaps you might even be able to coax another long story out of me, but it will likely be a while before that happens.

I haven't asked for reviews in a while, but since I'm going to be up so late with work at 8am tomorrow morning, I would honestly be thrilled to talk to some of you. You can keep me from going insane! Oh- and if you have read/writtn any good mushy KBOW fics, I'd love to have a link.

WITH INFINITE LOVE-

Cherriey


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